Royal Palace of Madrid (El Palacio de Oriente)

The Palacio Real. The Spanish Royal Palace in Madrid serves a function: The Royal Family does not live in the palace although it is its official residence but the building is used for official public affairs. Part of it is open to the public. This Baroque giant on the west side of the city has 3,418 rooms, making it the largest palace in Europe. Once a Moorish fortress, the Royal Alcázar of Madrid was a castle where the kings of Castile and other members of the royal family once lived. It all went up in flames in 1734 – it was Christmas time and the alarm bells that sounded were confused with the Mass bells. The Palacio Real built on the same location surpassed its predecessor in its splendour. In 1764, King Carlos III moved in. Nowadays, the royal treasures are one of the main reasons to visit the palace, although the gardens are also very popular.