Recoletos is one of the neighborhoods that shapes the famous Barrio de Salamanca of Madrid, this neighborhood is the oldest in the district and was ordered by the "Plan Castro" (1860). Madrid needed to expand the city so the "ensanches" were the solution.
"Ensanche" is the word used to name the development areas of Spanish cities during the XIX century, when there was a demographic explosion.

Currently Recoletos is the most expensive neighborhood in the city of Madrid and one of the main centers of lavish boutiques in Europe. Despite the passage of time, most buildings are perfectly preserved, in my opinion Recoletos is undervalued by residents and tourists.

Barrio de Recoletos.
62 Imágenes.
http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/6247/barriosalamanca156.jpg

Near Cibeles:
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/1286/barriosalamanca113.jpg

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/3994/barriosalamanca117.jpg

Embassy of France:
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/256/barriosalamanca120.jpg

http://img860.imageshack.us/img860/401/barriosalamanca125.jpg

Facades:
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6976/barriosalamanca124.jpg

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/192/barriosalamanca129.jpg

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2018/barriosalamanca134.jpg

Arriving at Serrano St., the most famous street in this neighborhood:
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/1593/barriosalamanca131.jpg

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/1193/barriosalamanca132.jpg

http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/2083/barriosalamanca133.jpg

Lavish shops are the icon of this street:
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/636/barriosalamanca138.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6461/barriosalamanca146.jpg

Museo Arqueológico Nacional (National Archaeological Museum):
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2553/barriosalamanca141.jpg

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/4011/barriosalamanca142.jpg

Spanish flag in Plaza de Colón:
http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/6779/copiadebarriosalamanca1.jpg

National Library and Archaeological Museum:
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/7185/barriosalamanca145.jpg

Monuments en Plaza de Colón:
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2164/barriosalamanca147.jpg

Last view of Serrano buildings:
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/4659/barriosalamanca139.jpg

Jorge Juan St.
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1179/barriosalamanca149.jpg

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/4510/barriosalamanca151.jpg

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/6247/barriosalamanca156.jpg

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/1957/barriosalamanca157.jpg

Claudio Coello St.:
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/25/barriosalamanca154.jpg

Pedestrian alleys in Jorge Juan:
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/240/barriosalamanca160.jpg

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5893/barriosalamanca163.jpg

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/2046/barriosalamanca164.jpg

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/5875/barriosalamanca170.jpg

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5776/barriosalamanca171.jpg

Lagasca St.:
http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/5906/barriosalamanca175.jpg

Goya St.
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/4734/barriosalamanca178.jpg

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/290/barriosalamanca179.jpg

El Jardín de Serrano, mall. (The photo was taken with the consent of a employee):
http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/7366/barriosalamanca181.jpg

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/6199/barriosalamanca184.jpg

Street crossing, Hermosilla-Claudio Coello.:
http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/4200/barriosalamanca190.jpg

Street crossing Hermosilla-Lagasca:
http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/8821/barriosalamanca195.jpg

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8973/barriosalamanca196.jpg

Building in Velázquez St.:
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/2569/barriosalamanca202.jpg

Ayala St.:
http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3937/barriosalamanca205.jpg

Entrance to a market:
http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/2319/barriosalamanca207.jpg

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/2691/barriosalamanca211.jpg

http://img810.imageshack.us/img810/7195/barriosalamanca209.jpg

http://img560.imageshack.us/img560/6923/barriosalamanca210.jpg

Serrano st. again:
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/6020/barriosalamanca213.jpg

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1036/barriosalamanca215.jpg

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/3932/barriosalamanca222.jpg

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/8231/barriosalamanca224.jpg

Ortega y Gasset is home of the most international shops:
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/9828/barriosalamanca226.jpg

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/9793/barriosalamanca228.jpg

http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5757/barriosalamanca231.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/6159/barriosalamanca230.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/726/barriosalamanca234.jpg

Padilla st.:
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/4475/barriosalamanca235.jpg

Another upper class mall, ABC Serrano:
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/8876/barriosalamanca238.jpg

Serrano:
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/1989/barriosalamanca254.jpg

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/2687/barriosalamanca242.jpg

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/6505/barriosalamanca255.jpg

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/7955/barriosalamanca243.jpg

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/7632/barriosalamanca258.jpg

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/8052/barriosalamanca245.jpg

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/8816/barriosalamanca248.jpg

We're leaving Recoletos, "Torres de Colón" and "Biblioteca Nacional":
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/6171/barriosalamanca257.jpg

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/1350/barriosalamanca267.jpg

nice picture from great city...its awesome Pavlemadrid http://freeimagestocks.com/content/66/grey.png

^^
Thank you :)