Real Fábrica de Tapices

The Real Fábrica de Tapices still makes tapestries and carpets in its brick building on Calle Fuenterrabía, between Atocha and the Pacífico neighbourhood. It is not a museum in the usual sense: it is a workshop that carries on working while you walk through it, which is why it can only be visited with a guide and a reservation.

A workshop that lets you watch

The guided tour lasts 45 minutes and takes in the historic workshops where the tapestries and carpets are made, with the staff working in plain view, and the rooms where antique pieces hang. There are morning slots from Monday to Friday and one departure at 16:00 from Monday to Thursday, which needs a minimum of eight people. Groups range from five to fifteen. It is run in Spanish and English, except in July and August, when there are no English tours. For groups of six there is also an exclusive tour that enters restricted areas.

Book in good time

There is no online sales system. You request a place by email with the name, ID number and phone number of each attendee, and pay by bank transfer. General admission costs €6 and the reduced rate €5, for under-18s, students, over-65s, pensioners, unemployed people and people with disabilities. The Monday 10:00 slot is free. Photography and recording are not allowed inside, and closed, sturdy footwear is required.