The Atocha Train station is the largest railway station in Madrid, Spain, and one of a kind in the world. What makes Atocha so special is the stunning 4,000 square meter tropical garden the station houses under the arched skylight.
The part of the station where the greenhouse resides dates back to 1851, to the time when Atocha was inaugurated. The station was partially destroyed by fire in 1892, and after several renovation the last of which took place in 1992, the original building was taken out of service as a terminal, and converted into a concourse with shops, cafés, a nightclub and the magnificent greenhouse. Over 7,000 plants belonging to around 260 different species adorn the garden, including a pond with 22 species of fish and turtles. In the summer months, when the dry heat of Madrid seeps through the glass roof, hundreds of tiny sprinklers let off a sort of steam, giving the place a genuine look of outdoors jungle.
[via Hubpages]
Impressive banana-like leaves is ravenala madagascariensis, if anyone's curious...
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