At which Madrid landmark does Spain's best-known New Year's Eve countdown take place?

Spain’s best-known New Year’s Eve countdown takes place at Madrid’s Puerta del Sol.

The square is famous for the clock on the Real Casa de Correos, whose midnight chimes are broadcast across Spain. Celebrants use the 12 chimes to time the traditional eating of 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year.

Puerta del Sol is one of Madrid’s central public spaces and a major meeting point throughout the year. Its clock became especially important to the national celebration because television broadcasts allow people across Spain to follow the same official timing.

The square also contains the Kilometer Zero marker, used as the reference point for measuring distances on Spain’s main radial roads. That landmark is separate from the clock, so it should not be confused with the feature that leads the New Year’s Eve countdown.