Madrid in War: Civil War, Guernica and World War II

For 863 days, Madrid was a besieged and bombed city, converted into a laboratory of modern warfare that preceded World War II. On this tour you will explore the key scenes of the Civil War in the city: bombings on civilians, the figure of Franco, the echo of Guernica and the traces of the front that are still visible in streets and buildings. We will walk from historic Madrid, where the civilians lived under the bombs, to the old front line in Parque del Oeste and the surroundings of the old Mountain Barracks (now Debod Temple). We will see facades with shrapnel impacts, squares that were military targets and places linked to political power and propaganda. This tour is ideal if you want to understand how Madrid experienced its 863 days of siege and why it was key to the history of Spain and Europe. You will live history, daily life under the bombs and the marks that the Civil War left forever in the city, all in one walking route.