Madrid - Placa del Sol

The Puerta del Sol, or "Gate of the Sun," is one of the best-known squares in Madrid and, as the site of the Kilometer Zero marker, serves as the starting point of Spain's six main national highways. Its name comes from a historic depiction of the sun that was mounted on the east-facing city wall of the 15th century. Originally just a small entrance to the medieval suburbs, the spot grew into a central urban hub in the 18th century with the construction of the Casa de Correos by the French architect Jacques Marquet. A comprehensive redesign between 1857 and 1862 gave the square its present-day appearance, keeping the lines of the post office and adding a semicircle of residential buildings opposite it. Today the Casa de Correos houses the government of the Comunidad de Madrid. You'll find the square a lively center of city life, dominated by the 4-meter-tall statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree. By tradition, people gather here on New Year's Eve to welcome the new year with the twelve chimes of the clock tower, eating one grape with each stroke.