Shopping in Madrid

Madrid's old center is a living museum of the single-purpose shop: capes and only capes, fans and only fans, espadrilles braided beside the Plaza Mayor since 1845. It is the best city in Europe for buying one perfect thing from the family that has always made it.

The walk: Madrid — Gran Vía to the Plaza Mayor — 3 hours.

Tiered houses of Madrid

• Loewe Heritage House
  Spanish luxury house since 1846 — LVMH's oldest brand. Royal Warrant in 1905. Jonathan Anderson's creative direction transformed it into the most innovative luxury brand. Puzzle, G loewe.com
• Capas Seseña Heritage House
  The last cape house of Spain, 1901 — Picasso was buried in his Seseña; four generations cutting the same sweep of cloth. sesena.com
• Casa de Diego Heritage House
  Fans, umbrellas and mantillas on the Sol since 1858 — abanicos painted and mounted as they were for four reigns. casadediego.es
• Casa Hernanz Heritage House
  Espadrilles braided since 1845 beside the Plaza Mayor — rope soles stacked to the ceiling, a queue that includes royalty. casahernanz.es
• Casa Mira Heritage House
  Turrón by the same family since 1842 — the Alicante slab cut with a guillotine, Christmas queues around the block. casamira.es
• Lhardy Heritage House
  Madrid’s gilded pantry since 1839 — consommé from the silver samovar downstairs, Isabelline salons above. lhardy.com
• Antigua Casa Talavera Hidden Gem
  A tiled jewel-box of Spanish ceramics — Talavera and Manises painted by regional workshops, sold by one family for a century. antiguacasatalavera.com
• Guantes Luque Hidden Gem
  Gloves and only gloves since 1886 — a shop the size of a wardrobe where they measure your hand across a velvet cushion. guantesluque.com