You should start your walk at the Atocha and Costanilla de los Desamparados crossing. At Atocha street, 87, you will be able to see where the first edition of Don Quijote was printed. Now it has become the Cervantino Museum. Have a look at the bronze bas-relief with one of this book scene and, above it, the Cervantes' bust.

Go up Desamparados street and turn right up to Moratín street. At San Juan square, on the Jazz Bar façade, a plaque indicates the place where the poet and playwright Leandro Fernandez Moratin was born.

Turn right and take Jesús street and then right again into Lope de Vega street. The church opposite the crossing is Jesús de Medinaceli, famous in the 18th Century as a place for the city gossips. Walking down Lope de Vega street, on your left, there is the Convent of Trinidades, where Cervantes was initially buried.

Turn right into Quevedo street and in the corner you will see a plaque which indicates where Quevedo and Góngora, the famous writers, lived. At the end of Cervantes street, number 11, there is the brick façade known as "Casa de Lope de Vega", where this author lived and died.

Turn right into León street and up to Prado street. At number 21 there you find the Ateneo Library, with a very impressive marble staircase and walls covered with portraits of the Spanish historic celebrities.

Back to Prado street, you will reach Plaza Santa Ana, with the Teatro Español and many bars, such as the German Beer House, frequented by Ramón María del Valle-Inclán and Ernest Hemingway.

While opposite the theatre, turn left into Príncipe street. At number 7 you will find Las Cuevas de Sésamo, frequented by many famous writers. It is worth a visit just for the paintings in the walls.

At Canalejas square turn left into Cruz street. On your left, Victoria street shows a plaque which indicates the place where writers and politicians used to meet. It has become a pub, Irish-like. A little further up Cruz street, there is a mural representing the street right behind, and one asks oneself where the theatre is or if the theatre is the street. The theatre we are mentioning is the Corral de la Cruz, an outdoor theatre that was there.

Turn left into Alvarez Gato street, cross the square and walk down San Sebastián street. Where there is now a florist's, Huertas corner, there used to be the San Sebastián Church Cemetery. An old olive tree remembers the literary celebrities who were buried there. Opposite the florist's there is a plaque which indicates that the Fonda de San Sebastián was a literary gathering place in the 18th Century. Following the church wall, have a look at the plaques which indicate the names of the writers who were baptized, buried or who got married there.

BUILDINGS, MONUMENTS AND PLACES OF INTEREST IN MADRID

If you are in Madrid you can not miss the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen museums, where you will be able to admire a wide range of art works by Spanish and international artists.
If you wish to see Madrid at bird's eye view, we recommend to take the cable car or get on top of the Torre de Madrid. If you want to get some fresh air and be in contact with nature, the best option is a nice walk around El Retiro park and Casa de Campo. But if you want to stroll around the city, go to Paseo de la Castellana. For emblematic monuments, visit Puerta de Alcalá, the Parliament -Congreso de los Diputados-, or Cibeles Square, known as the meeting point to celebrate the Real Madrid victories. If you are looking for traditional events, the best thing to do is to spend an afternoon at the bullring Las Ventas or else enjoy the festivals of San Isidoro or La Paloma, if you are in the right time of the year. Anyhow, you can not leave Madrid without having seen the Real Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales or the Convent of Carboneras, where you will be able to purchase Spanish home made specialities such as "mantecados" (buns made with lard), "yemas" (sweet made from egg yolks) and the almond biscuits.