Gran Vía

If Madrid appears to be an old, antique city, then el Gran Vía is here to challenge that. They had to knock down over 334 buildings in order to build this grand avenue, and it took a long time because of the complexity of the project, but they did it to help with traffic congestion and to connect the different districts. Construction started in 1910 on one of the three sections, the third ending in 1931. Thus, it shows different architectural styles throughout the years. Here you can shop, eat where all the stars eat, and go to plays at theaters. The famous Telefónica building, Metrópolis, and Capitol building are also here.