Max Abroad : The Best of Spain

This vast cemetery in Madrid is the largest necropolis in Spain and Europe, and one of the largest in the world. Approximately five million people have been laid to rest here – that surpasses the current population of the city.

Our Lady of Almudena Cemetery (Cementerio de Nuestra Señora de La Almudena) is more akin to a town of the dead. Crowds of visitors, especially on All Saints’ Day, on November 1, walk the burial ground along pathways with streets names and varying sections that resemble neighbourhoods with different social standings.

There’s a separate walled “neighbourhood” for the tombs of the rich and famous, miniature palaces, many with ornate doors and windows.

 In another section, the graves of the less fortunate or not so well-to-do aren’t burial plots at all, but rather rows and rows of stacked mini crypts housing the cremated remains within niches several stories high, resembling apartment blocks.

In the centre is the historic heart of the cemetery, with beautiful marble tombstones and statues dating back to the 19th century. The cemetery was built in 1884 and grew rapidly as the cholera epidemic spread.

Although not as grand as the cemeteries in other capitals of Europe, Almudena still has some ornate and interesting gravestones worth visiting. So if you happen to be in the area it is well worth a visit. The Metro Line 2 will get you to the Elipa station, from where you can walk to the entrance, which is about half a kilometre away.