Palacio de Cibeles

A complex of two white-fronted buildings, originally the city's main post office and telecom headquarters. It became the city hall in 2011, anchoring the busy Plaza de Cibeles.

Notice the wedding-cake silhouette of the corner tower, a nod to early 20th-century palatial style. For a full view, step back across the roundabout; for details, walk to the back side, which is quieter and lets you study the stone carvings up close.