What is the name of the famous New Year’s Eve countdown clock in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol?

The famous New Year’s Eve countdown clock in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol is the Real Casa de Correos clock.

The clock is mounted on the Real Casa de Correos, the historic building that faces the square. Its midnight chimes are broadcast nationally, guiding the traditional eating of twelve grapes, one for each stroke and each month of the year ahead.

Puerta del Sol is one of Madrid’s most important public squares and a symbolic center of the city. The building now houses the presidency of the Community of Madrid, but its clock has become especially associated with the country’s New Year broadcast.

The ritual can be confusing for visitors because the televised sequence includes warning sounds before the actual chimes. The grapes are eaten during the twelve main strokes, not during the preliminary signals.