Where was Money Heist filmed?

Red jumpsuits, masks and an audacious plan turned this Spanish thriller into a global phenomenon, and with it came an itch to see the real Madrid behind the mayhem. The genius of the show is how firmly it roots its heists in the bricks and mortar of the Spanish capital, taking institutions everyone can recognise and putting them at the centre of the drama.

Both of its great targets sit in Madrid, Spain. The grand headquarters of Spain's national research council, the CSIC building, stood in for the Royal Mint that the crew occupies in the first heist, its monumental exterior doing the heavy lifting. The second heist sets its sights on the Banco de España, the real Bank of Spain on the Plaza de Cibeles, whose imposing corner facade recurs throughout the series, even though the interiors were a purpose-built set.

Both buildings stand on grand central boulevards, which makes them a natural addition to any Madrid city walk rather than a special expedition. They are working institutions, so admire and photograph them from the outside rather than expecting to go in. String them together with the museums and plazas nearby, and break for tapas in between, exactly the kind of easy, on-foot day the city does so well.