Did you know? · Madrid
Madrid fun facts
Things you might not know about Madrid. Every fact comes from an official or primary source, named alongside it.
Updated October 2026
An avenue on the World Heritage List
In 2021 UNESCO inscribed “Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences” on its World Heritage List (whc.unesco.org).
A temple from the Nile
The Templo de Debod, an ancient Egyptian temple, stands in the Parque del Oeste and opened to the public in 1972 (esmadrid.com).
Some very old kitchens
Botín says it was founded in 1725; Lhardy has served Madrid “since 1839”, Taberna La Bola its cocido “since 1870” and Malacatín “since 1895”, each in its own words.
Five UNESCO towns for the day
Toledo (1986), Segovia (1985), El Escorial (1984), Ávila (1985) and Aranjuez (2001) are all on UNESCO’s World Heritage List (whc.unesco.org).
Questions and answers
When was the Paseo del Prado inscribed by UNESCO?
In 2021, with the Buen Retiro, as “a landscape of Arts and Sciences”.