Trip Planner: Europe / Spain / Community of Madrid / Madrid / Miscellaneous / National Library of Spain

National Library of Spain, Madrid

(360+ reviews on the web)

Library Traveler Resource

Founded as the royal palace's public library in the 18th century, National Library of Spain is one of the largest libraries in the world. Besides the vast collection of books, the library is a center of research and archives. Visit the palatial structure and browse the shelves full of historic and contemporary editions. Stay quiet in the aisles and enjoy the epic architecture over the pages of Cervantes. Put National Library of Spain on your schedule, and learn what else deserves a visit by using our Madrid vacation trip planner.

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Reviews

TripAdvisor

Jos8Toledo

Walking distance form all the historical spots and also in the middle of the most important Madrid street (las Castellana) One of the most impressive buildings in Madrid, right by Plaza Colón. The boo... more »
Lynge T

Be aware it is not easy to get in here. Check the website for visiting. The building is very impressing and is a fine view on the Paseo. more »
Luis M

We try to visit inside, but they offer only a guided tour, in some hours only. It was a pitty because its building is wonderful. more »

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Google

John Stone

The largest collection in Spain, comparable in terms of on-site service to other large national collection in London and Paris. Off-site books can take forever to be delivered: order them before you travel. Don't expect the staff to speak much English. Anyone working on a topic with a Spanish angle to it should speak Spanish as well as they read it, and if you don't read it what are you doing here? The exhibitions are usually very good: to see them, take the ground-level entrance (rather than going up the stairs).

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Radu Niculae

The beautiful entrance draws you into a fabulous building, a place where books send you back in a world without blemish.

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Jaime Bedia

You need to be part of a guided visit to see it. So I was just able to see the facade :/

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Jimmy Ichihana

The building, collection and staff are wonderful here. If you are not from Spain, all you need is a passport to obtain a Reader Card which allows you to look at books published after 1931. You cannot take the books out of this library, but you can reserve them for up to 15 days and read them in a beautiful and spacious room with plenty of desks, lights and free wifi.

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Laurencia Nava

Since I am a student at the Complutense University of Madrid I am often assigned to write papers on various subject that I sometimes just can't find anything about in my textbooks and the internet. I've came to the conclusion that the most reliable source of information in those situations is the Biblioteca Nacional de España. The staff there is very knowledgeable and quite helpful which saves me a lot of time browsing for the right book on my own.

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National Library of Spain, Madrid

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