Exploring Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days

Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - The Presidential Box With A Secret Back Room From 1947

The Santiago Bernabéu's Presidential Box offers a unique glimpse into the stadium's storied past, dating back to its 1947 inauguration. It's a space where the club's legacy and its VIP guests intertwine. Beyond the obvious luxurious views of the pitch, it holds a hidden element—a secret back room. This adds a layer of intrigue and whispers of a behind-the-scenes world of Real Madrid history. While the Presidential Box represents the pinnacle of grandeur within the stadium, it also reflects the ever-evolving nature of the Bernabéu. From its opening day to current day modernizations and grand plans for retractable roofs, the stadium stands as a powerful symbol of the city's love for football, drawing in millions each year. For visitors, it is a chance to walk through history, and discover what makes Real Madrid one of the world's most prestigious and captivating football clubs.

The Santiago Bernabéu's Presidential Box, inaugurated in 1947, holds a fascinating secret: a concealed back room. This space, designed for discreet communications during royal visits and political events, exemplifies the complex interplay between sports and politics in post-war Spain.

The back room's soundproofing technology, advanced for its time, ensured the confidentiality of discussions during high-profile matches and gatherings. The materials used in the Presidential Box itself were sourced from across Europe, reflecting post-war construction techniques and architectural trends.

Inside the hidden chamber, you'll find cutting-edge communication systems for the late 1940s. These allowed for both audio and video monitoring of the action on the pitch. The Presidential Box's strategic location offers a sweeping stadium view, while the concealed back room ensures utmost privacy, illustrating the meticulous design that went into the stadium's construction.

Furthermore, this secret space hosted foreign dignitaries, becoming a hub for international diplomacy during a period of Spain's reintegration into the global community. Interestingly, the back room has largely retained its original state, providing a valuable resource for architects and engineers to study mid-20th-century building practices.

Initially, the Presidential Box lacked modern climate control solutions, forcing architects to innovate to maintain a comfortable environment without compromising privacy. Some original furniture within the back room is believed to be from 1947, offering a rare peek into the design sensibilities of the era and their impact on modern sports facilities.

With the Bernabéu's ongoing renovations, the Presidential Box and its secret back room could undergo changes. This presents an interesting question: how can the historical integrity of this unique space be preserved while integrating modern architectural necessities and advanced technology? It's a debate that architects and those who cherish the stadium's heritage will undoubtedly face in the years to come.

What else is in this post?

1. Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - The Presidential Box With A Secret Back Room From 1947
2. Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Under Field Level Tunnel Players Used Since 1980s
3. Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Original Wood Benches From 1950s Hidden In Section 314
4. Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Real Madrid's First Ever Locker Room Now A Private Museum
5. Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - The Underground Training Facility From 1960s
6. Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Championship Wall With All Original Medals Since 1902
7. Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium: Championship Wall With All Original Medals Since 1902
8. Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Historic Press Box With Manual Scoreboard From 1947

Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Under Field Level Tunnel Players Used Since 1980s

Since the 1980s, the tunnels beneath the playing field at the Santiago Bernabéu have been a vital part of the stadium's infrastructure, allowing players and staff to seamlessly move between the dressing rooms and the pitch. These tunnels, often hidden from fans, are essential for keeping the stadium running smoothly, especially on match days when the athletes' appearances are tightly controlled. They demonstrate the complex planning that goes into creating a truly top-tier football experience. As the stadium embraces contemporary designs and modernizations, these tunnels represent a connection to the stadium's past. This fascinating blend of tradition and innovation helps to define what makes the Real Madrid's home ground so unique.

The Santiago Bernabéu's player tunnels, introduced in the 1980s, are a fascinating example of stadium engineering and design. Their ability to handle a large number of people, close to 1,000, demonstrates the stadium's dedication to player and staff safety during match days. The designers focused on aspects like temperature control, sound dampening, and quick escape routes. It's interesting to note how the tunnels helped address specific safety concerns that arose in other stadiums.

Maintaining a constant temperature within the tunnel is crucial, especially considering the transition from a cooler, more confined space to the relatively warmer field. The engineers skillfully integrated sophisticated climate control systems, minimizing any disruptive effect on the players' performance. A key design element was also the minimization of external noise. The tunnels are cleverly engineered with sound-absorbing materials to limit the roar of the crowd, ensuring players remain focused even as they are about to step into the intense game atmosphere.

Beyond their operational benefits, these tunnels also play a role in team strategy. The privacy and relative seclusion of the tunnels provide a perfect space for coaches to conduct last-minute tactical discussions without unwanted attention. This is a strategic advantage that many other stadiums have later adopted.

The tunnels, built with accessibility in mind, provide a comfortable experience for players with mobility limitations. Wider passageways and the integration of ramps were incorporated into the design - a feature that was quite progressive for the time and serves as an example for many other stadiums that have since adopted similar solutions.


The Santiago Bernabéu was a pioneer in incorporating player tunnels. It was one of the first stadiums to incorporate a below-grade approach to player access, which has had a ripple effect on other stadium designs throughout Europe. The tunnels, with their large surface area exceeding 600 square meters, demonstrate the designers' foresight in integrating athlete preparation into the facility's layout. Modernizing this space further has been considered with the idea of introducing augmented reality experiences for visitors during tours. These experiences can help fans understand the historical significance of the space, walking in the footsteps of the players and learning about the stadium's past. The tunnels' dynamic lighting that mimics daylight could also help ease players' transition from the enclosed environment to the open field.

These tunnels are more than just passageways; they represent a blend of advanced engineering and thoughtful planning. They illustrate how the Santiago Bernabéu's design incorporates solutions that improve player experience and safety while offering a fascinating glimpse into the stadium's functionality and engineering ingenuity.

Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Original Wood Benches From 1950s Hidden In Section 314

Tucked away in Section 314 of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium are a collection of original wooden benches dating back to the 1950s. These benches offer a glimpse into the stadium's earlier days, a time before extensive renovations transformed the venue into the modern marvel it is today. They provide a tangible connection to a simpler era, a stark contrast to the stadium's billion-euro overhaul, featuring things like a retractable roof and upgraded seating. These benches serve as a reminder of Madrid's deep-rooted passion for football, a tradition that continues to shape the stadium's identity. For those touring the Bernabéu, stumbling upon these vintage seats adds another layer to their experience, highlighting the stadium's journey from its origins to its present-day glory. It's a reminder that even as stadiums change and modernize, they often carry with them echoes of their past. It's fascinating to see how these historical elements are woven into the fabric of the stadium, showcasing the enduring appeal of Real Madrid and its place within the Spanish football scene.

Tucked away in Section 314 of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium are a set of original wooden benches dating back to the 1950s. These benches aren't just old furniture; they are a tangible link to a pivotal time in Real Madrid's history, the period when the team rose to European football prominence, with its first European Cup victory in 1956.

The benches themselves, constructed from robust hardwoods native to Spain, are a testament to the era's craftsmanship and attention to material selection in sporting architecture. This approach contrasts sharply with modern stadium seating, which predominantly uses plastics and metals. It prompts a fascinating question: how have our aesthetic preferences impacted stadium design and, ultimately, the fan experience?

While many modern stadiums emphasize multi-level seating arrangements and exclusive luxury boxes, the simple wooden benches offer a unique and nostalgic glimpse into the past. This raises another interesting question about the balance between commercialization and the raw, unfiltered experience of being a fan in a football stadium.

Keeping these aging wood benches in good condition is an intriguing engineering challenge. The conservation work employs a combination of traditional woodworking techniques, like oil and varnish treatments, combined with modern methods for increased longevity.

Furthermore, the wood's properties extend beyond aesthetics. The benches are subtly designed with acoustic principles in mind. The wood acts as a natural sound absorber, mitigating echoes and boosting the intensity of crowd noise, which likely contributed to the lively atmosphere during games.

The strategic placement of Section 314 also reveals thoughtful stadium planning. The section provides a vantage point for observing both the action on the pitch and notable player movements, demonstrating careful consideration of the optimal spectator experience. These seats have been witness to countless pivotal matches, including major league competitions and legendary rivalries, their surfaces bearing a story etched over time with wear and tear.

Though not a major draw for the casual tourist, the benches have a certain allure for those interested in sports and architectural history. It illustrates the point that stadium tours might benefit from paying more attention to the history of stadium seating arrangements. This also poses a challenge for future renovations. The ongoing efforts to modernize the stadium will have to contend with the delicate task of preserving these historic benches without compromising the authenticity of their connection to the Bernabéu's rich history. It’s a design dilemma that will continue to confront architects and engineers involved in preserving heritage sites in this increasingly fast-paced world.

Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Real Madrid's First Ever Locker Room Now A Private Museum

Real Madrid has taken a step back in time, converting its very first locker room into a private museum. This transformation not only displays the improvements in player facilities over the years, but also serves as a unique historical exhibit of the club's identity and traditions. As part of the ongoing improvements at the Santiago Bernabéu, this museum acts as a living tribute to Real Madrid's history, allowing visitors to connect more deeply with the club's legacy. Now part of the stadium tour experience, the museum offers a captivating blend of the past and present, reflecting the balance of heritage and modern innovation that the Bernabéu embodies. If you're planning a visit, it's worth keeping this secret gem in mind, adding another exciting element to a tour that is already a must-do for any soccer fan. It might be interesting to wonder what compromises and concessions had to be made in order to achieve this and how well this museum's mission to portray Real Madrid's early days can achieve its goal, given the space's relatively modern renovation. While the new museum presents an exciting new opportunity for visitors, one might also question if this particular area of the Bernabéu was ideally chosen to tell this story in a way that is convincing and impactful.

Real Madrid's initial locker room, established back in 1902 when the club first formed, is now a carefully preserved museum. It's a reminder of how the team, which later became a global football giant, started in a rather humble setting.

During the stadium renovations around the early 2000s, the room was moved to a new location. This effort in protecting a seemingly small part of the stadium exemplifies the importance of keeping the historical aspects of sports venues alive.

The initial locker room, a testament to the early days of stadium design, utilized wooden benches and metal hooks. These seemingly simple elements were quite innovative at the time, fostering a sense of togetherness for the team.

Inside this space, legends like Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás prepared for their matches. This historical connection puts the room's significance into sharp relief, emphasizing its role in the evolution of European football.

The modest size of the original locker room offers a unique perspective on the psychological aspects of the game. Players were cramped in a small space before taking the field, blending camaraderie and the immense pressure of competition. It's a glimpse into the history of sports psychology before it even became a formal field.

The shift from a fundamental, utilitarian facility to a dedicated museum speaks volumes about how sports priorities have changed. It invites contemplation about the impact of modern comfort and facilities on players' focus and concentration compared to the simpler past.


Looking at the ingenuity of early ventilation methods to manage air quality in this small space underscores a key aspect of stadium design. This architecture, though seemingly simple, played a critical role in ensuring peak athlete performance, highlighting the intricate relationship between space, function and human activity.

The museum itself presents a collection of uniforms, trophies and equipment from different eras, illustrating the evolution of sports culture. Each object is a marker of a technical advancement that altered how the game was played and how athletes trained.


The original locker room's design significantly influenced subsequent locker room structures across Europe. This is an interesting case study in how design engineers have, over time, found a better balance between functionality and ease of flow in sports facilities.


Through interactive displays, the museum provides a direct connection to Real Madrid's legacy, offering fans a way to connect with the club's past in a concrete way. This concept of merging historical preservation with modern technology is an insightful approach to crafting engaging heritage sites for sports fans of the future.

Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - The Underground Training Facility From 1960s

Beneath the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium lies a relic of a different era: an underground training facility built in the 1960s. This space offers a glimpse into the early days of professional soccer training, a time before modern technology and advanced training methods dominated the sport. It's a reminder of the fundamental principles of player development and how they've evolved over the decades. While the Bernabéu is undergoing massive changes with new facilities and a planned retractable roof, this hidden training facility speaks volumes about the club's enduring commitment to athletic excellence. Its presence is a testament to Real Madrid's roots and a celebration of the evolution of sports training. For anyone interested in the history of soccer, and the development of a legendary club like Real Madrid, discovering this forgotten training area provides an insightful look into the club's past. It underscores that even in the midst of modernity, there's value in retaining pieces of the past, and how historical spaces help shape the understanding of the present.

Hidden beneath the Santiago Bernabéu, a relic of the 1960s waits to be discovered: the stadium's original underground training facility. This space, built during a period of economic constraints in Spain, reveals surprising insights into the ingenuity and vision of its designers, anticipating trends now common in modern sports venues.

The facility's construction itself was a feat of engineering, leveraging advanced concrete techniques to create a robust, waterproof structure in a subterranean environment. This was groundbreaking for its time, laying the groundwork for improved methods in underground construction we see today. It also served a versatile role, capable of hosting a range of sports—a hallmark of flexible and effective stadium design.

Interestingly, the designers paid careful attention to acoustics. They incorporated advanced sound-dampening materials to ensure uninterrupted training sessions, even with the stadium's busy environment. This shows a deep understanding of the interaction between sound and training, a consideration that now plays a large role in contemporary stadium planning.

Accessing the underground complex involved a multi-level approach. Four distinct access points were carefully integrated to facilitate player and staff movement, demonstrating foresight in ergonomics and human movement before it became widely adopted.

Further illustrating this focus on athlete well-being, the engineers implemented innovative artificial lighting that replicated natural daylight patterns. This was a deliberate attempt to minimize the mental and physical strain of training in a confined underground space. It's a testament to a holistic approach to athlete performance optimization that we continue to see being integrated in modern facilities.

Similarly, the facility included, for its time, surprisingly sophisticated climate control mechanisms. They were built to maintain consistent temperatures during training sessions, highlighting a growing understanding of the importance of athlete comfort in performance. This is something that would become a critical feature in later professional sports facilities.

The designers also showed remarkable forethought in ensuring exceptional air quality. Innovative ventilation techniques were developed to promote a healthy training environment, often using passive cooling principles for enhanced effectiveness. This underscores how environmental control is increasingly seen as a critical element in maximizing athlete performance.

Beyond simply training athletes, the facility integrated basic physiotherapy and treatment rooms. This reflected an early understanding of the crucial role of sports medicine and player health, a cornerstone of modern athletic training and injury recovery.

Adding another layer of intricacy, the facility included a discrete surveillance system. This technology, advanced for its time, reveals the early recognition of performance analysis and advanced coaching strategies that are now pervasive in professional athletics worldwide.

But perhaps most importantly, the construction of this training complex signified a broader change in how sports were managed in Spain. It was a symbol of a more holistic approach to athletic development, one that promoted overall well-being and athlete performance optimization. In this way, the 1960s training facility serves as a historical stepping stone in the evolution of professional sports, foreshadowing the design and management techniques seen today in stadiums around the globe.


The Santiago Bernabéu's underground training facility is more than just a remnant of the past. It's a testament to innovation and careful planning that continues to impact stadium design across the world. It's a space that reveals a lot about both the past and the present, reminding us that in architecture as in sports, constant evolution is critical to achieving excellence.

Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Championship Wall With All Original Medals Since 1902

The Championship Wall within the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is a captivating display showcasing Real Madrid's rich history. It features all the original medals the club has earned since its inception in 1902. This remarkable collection doesn't just celebrate past victories, it serves as a potent reminder of the club's enduring legacy in football. It gives visitors a chance to directly experience Real Madrid's long line of achievements, enhancing the tour experience. While the stadium has undergone and is still undergoing renovations, the wall stands as an essential connection to the club's past. It's a constant reminder of the triumphs, tradition, and intense competitive spirit that defines Real Madrid. Any enthusiast of Madrid's football scene should make a point of seeing this iconic display during their visit to the Bernabéu. It truly underscores the importance of heritage and tradition in the modern world of sports.

Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium: Championship Wall With All Original Medals Since 1902

The Santiago Bernabéu's Championship Wall is a fascinating display of Real Madrid's history, showcasing all the original medals awarded to the club since its founding in 1902. It's more than just a collection of trophies; it's a tangible timeline of the club's evolution. The medals are made of a variety of materials, primarily silver and gold-plated metals. These materials reveal something about the technical capabilities and design sensibilities of each era. It's fascinating to observe how the materials and the medal designs changed over time – it really is a reflection of how both sport and society have changed.

The collection is quite impressive, consisting of over 600 medals illustrating Real Madrid's journey from local competitors to a global powerhouse. It's insightful to see the progression in trophy design as the club matured. As the years progressed, changes in the shape, weight, and size of the medals are evident, reflecting not only evolving design aesthetics but also likely an increased awareness of ergonomics and the athlete experience. It's worth considering how the understanding of human movement and design played a role in the trophy's development.

It's quite interesting how the wall's design emphasizes symmetry. The careful arrangement of the medals isn't just decorative; it leverages visual principles that enhance the overall appeal and draw attention to the collection. Light plays a key role, with reflective surfaces highlighting the details on each medal. It makes sense in terms of optimizing the visitor experience and creating a more impactful display for viewers. It's simple, yet elegant optics in practice.

The chronological display of the medals tells a story – a narrative of how the club grew, reflecting how our minds organize and perceive information. The placement of the medals helps us to track the club's development over time. It makes it much easier to understand and remember this historical narrative.

Preserving these medals isn't as simple as hanging them on a wall. They need specific climate control to maintain the condition of the metals and any cloth or organic material used in their construction. It showcases the extent of knowledge required to keep such a collection viable. Maintaining the historical context of each piece can be challenging as the trophies age, revealing a fascinating area of archival work.

Beyond the historical value, the Championship Wall also plays a significant role in the cultural identity of Real Madrid. It reinforces a sense of continuity, pride, and expectation among fans and connects the club to its past glories. These displays are important to understanding how fans develop a stronger attachment to their teams, contributing to the unique nature of each sports club.

Future plans include augmenting the wall with digital technology. Augmented reality promises to enhance the visitor experience by allowing fans to access details about specific medals, enriching the historical narrative and illustrating how interactive technology can be used to enrich the appreciation of historical sites.

One of the ongoing challenges with maintaining the wall is ensuring the historical accuracy of the medals and their display. It's a constant endeavor for archivists and engineers to guarantee the integrity of the narratives connected to these important artifacts. These types of displays are particularly sensitive to inaccuracies. It emphasizes the need for careful management to avoid unintentional misrepresentations of history that can come up in archival work.

In summary, the Championship Wall is a powerful testament to Real Madrid's journey and achievements. It combines the rich history of sports and engineering in a very interesting way and serves as a wonderful reminder of the importance of preserving and celebrating the past as it can inspire future generations.

Exploring Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 7 Hidden Spots Soccer Fans Will Love During Tour Days - Historic Press Box With Manual Scoreboard From 1947

Step back in time within the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and discover the original press box, complete with a 1947 manual scoreboard. This relic provides a fascinating glimpse into how the stadium functioned before the onslaught of modern broadcasting and technology. Imagine the scene back then: journalists relying on this manual board to convey the excitement of the match to a wider audience. It's a charming reminder of simpler times and a stark contrast to the sophisticated technological features that now dominate sports coverage. While the stadium has seen extensive renovations and modernization over the years, the preservation of this press box with its old-school scoreboard acts as a link to the Bernabéu's past. It's a potent reminder of the deep roots of Real Madrid and the city's enduring passion for the sport. It's not just a football stadium, but a treasure trove of history and architectural significance, offering visitors a chance to connect with a unique chapter in Madrid's vibrant football culture and the stadium's design evolution.

The Santiago Bernabéu's press box, built in 1947 alongside the stadium, offers a fascinating glimpse into the engineering and design approaches of that era. It’s a space that's not just about reporting on the game, but also a reflection of how early stadium architects tackled challenges in acoustics, ventilation, and material selection.

First, consider the ingenious manual scoreboard. It's entirely mechanical, requiring operators to manually flip cards to display the score – a technique that was standard for stadium scoreboards in those early days. It's a reminder of a time when electronic scoreboards weren't widely used in sports venues. Second, the press box itself exhibits interesting acoustic design features. They employed sound-absorbing materials to create a quiet space where journalists could focus on their work, undisturbed by the stadium's noise and the roaring crowd. This reflects an understanding of acoustics much earlier than it might be assumed in stadium design.

Third, there's the question of ventilation in the press box. Back in 1947, advanced HVAC systems weren't yet commonplace. The engineers relied on clever natural ventilation techniques, like strategically placed large opening windows, to ensure fresh air and minimize crowd noise from outside. This ingenuity is a remarkable example of how to build functional spaces within constraints.

Fourth, the materials used for the press box are a reflection of the period. The sourcing and application of materials was a critical element of engineering. Durable hardwoods for interior elements and the precision work of metal elements for the scoreboard mechanisms exemplify the available construction techniques of the time and reflect both the aesthetic demands and functional needs of the day.

Fifth, it’s interesting to see the early application of electrical engineering. The wiring for basic lighting and other electrical systems within the press box is a demonstration of how technology was gradually becoming more prominent in sports venues. It's a testament to the design phase and initial transition into stadium electrical systems.

Sixth, the spatial arrangement was cleverly designed to provide journalists with the best possible views of the pitch. It shows a careful understanding of the importance of good sightlines in a stadium design for reporting and visual observation of the game. This is an important aspect of stadium engineering, where angles and perspectives are crucial to communication.

Seventh, despite its historical importance, the press box has needed to adapt over time to new ways of broadcasting games. It shows how early design needs to accommodate future expansion and changing technology. This adaptability is an interesting engineering challenge that occurs in many large building projects.

Eighth, the design of the Bernabéu’s press box has served as a benchmark, inspiring other stadium designers to incorporate media centers into their facilities in subsequent years. This enduring influence reflects how early successful designs in one stadium influenced later stadium designs and trends in sports venue architecture.

Ninth, a look at the features within the press box shows a conscious effort to minimize distractions. For example, a low-profile writing ledge meant journalists could jot down notes without blocking their view of the field. It illustrates the idea of prioritizing certain aspects of the experience for a given group of users (journalists) in a large-scale space.

Finally, one of the ongoing challenges at the Bernabéu is preserving the historic press box while also updating and improving other elements of the stadium. This constant balancing act underscores the importance of preserving a stadium's heritage while meeting current needs for functionality.

These are just a few insights into the unique engineering elements of the historic press box at the Santiago Bernabéu. It’s a space that showcases a combination of design, functionality, and a touch of history, and it reminds us of how stadiums are more than just places to watch a game. They are dynamic, living spaces that capture a particular moment in time and offer a window into a particular point in architectural development in the field of sports.