Puerta de los Osos in Madrid, Spain

For centuries, bears have been intertwined with the identity of Madrid. The city’s coat of arms famously depicts a bear reaching up toward a strawberry tree, an image that appears on everything from official seals to souvenirs. Historians debate the exact origins of the symbol, but it likely reflects a time when forests and wildlife surrounded the medieval settlement. Today, the bear remains Madrid’s most recognizable emblem—a reminder that the Spanish capital was once a much wilder place. One of the city’s lesser-known tributes to this enduring symbol stands at the entrance to the historic...