In my previous post on the ‘8 scenarios where the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid is worth a visit‘ I mentioned that if you have half a day to spare in Madrid and would like to take a break from museums, the Santiago Bernabeu is the place for you.
However if you need to be further convinced, here is a list of the 10 stops along the Real Madrid tour of Santiago Bernabeu, accompanied by pictures. I would also suggest that you be there early, as long queues were starting to form past 11am, with the arrival of several tour buses.
1. Panoramic view of the stadium
At Stop 1, you get a bird’s-eye view of the stadium, though I the views will be much better at pitch level. If it’s your first time visiting the Santiago Bernabeu, you may be taken in by the vastness of the stadium. It’s a whooping 81,044 seater, which has 30,000 more seats than the National Stadium in Singapore.
2. ‘Best Club In History’ Room/ 3. Sensations Room/ 4. Photomontage
I would lump areas 2, 3 and 4 together as they are similar. Essentially, it’s a dark, sleek exhibition area with numerous interactive elements. As mentioned in the previous post on whether the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid is worth a visit, the ‘Best Club in History’ Room simply features a treasure chest of Trophies, videos of winning matches and a prized collection of soccer boots and autographed soccer balls from stars of the past and present. There’s also a prized collection of jerseys to check out.
5. Pitch
Construction works were being done when we were there. We could see the tractor removing a layer of grass, and then replacing it with a new turf. The grass is green and lush, well expected of the world’s top football clubs.
6. Presidential Box
This is where the VIPs sit. It’s actually not the most interactive place, though you’ll get a chance to watch the match away from the summer’s heat and rowdy screaming fans. The seats are made of leather and have a nice head rest, (also a nice place to rest your legs at the halfway mark of the tour).
7. Real Madrid Dressing Room
This is my favourite of all parts of the tour – I’m finally in the player’s dressing room! It’s pretty cool as you literally have the chance to be in the exact room where the players mingle, before, during and after the match. The shower facility was clean and sparkly, and they have really comfortable massage beds in the dressing room as well.
The locker room is spick and span, unfortunately, you will not be able to find Cristiano Ronaldo’s sweaty football jersey there, or his half-used bottle of cologne. #justsaying.
8. Tunnel, Dugouts and Technical Area
The tunnel like what its name suggest, looks like an ordinary tunnel. To add a tinge of excitement, I imagined Raul Gonzalez, Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo walking through the tunnel for a big match, their hearts thumping in excitement as fans cheered them on across the stadium.
The seat reserved for the manager of the club is pretty comfy, though I doubt it would add any real comfort as he is seen walking up and down the field shouting orders most of the time. Nonetheless, it was nice to be able to trace the player’s footsteps as they entered the pitch. And imagine the anxiety of reserves as they wait to be appointed as substitutes.
9. Press Room
The Press Room did not offer much, apart from a microphone and a wall plastered with logos of Real Madrid’s various sponsors. That being said, the seats are there for you to rest the legs, should you get tired out after the long walk around Santiago Bernabeu.
10. Official Store
As mentioned earlier, the Official Store is meant to draw our consumer instincts with its lovely selection of balls, jerseys, mugs and scarves. A must-go if you’re into collecting such paraphernalia.
For more information on the Bernabeu tour, visit the Real Madrid Site.
Some key pointers:
TELEPHONE: +34 91 398 43 70
EMAIL: tour@corp.realmadrid.com
TIMETABLE: Open every day except the 25th of December and the 1st of January
NON-MATCH DAYS:
Monday to Saturday: from 10.00 to 19.00
Sundays and public holidays: from 10.30 to 18.30.
MATCH DAYS:
On match days, tours are available until 5 hours before the beginning of the game. After that time and until 3 hours before kick-off, it will only be possible to visit Best Club, the Trophy Exhibition and the Panoramic View of the Stadium.
TICKET OFFICE: Tickets are sold in Ticket Office 10 beside Gate 7 (Paseo de la Castellana, the entrance to Tower B).
PRICES: Adults €19.00, Children (up to 14 years of age) €13.00
ACCESSIBILITY: People on wheelchairs can only visit the “Best Club in History” room, the Sensations Room, as well as the technical area for free along with a companion.
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