Zero-level datum at Alicante City Hall
On the first step of the Alicante City Hall stairway sits Spain’s official zero-level datum, the reference point for all altitude measurements above sea level in the country.
Why a zero datum?
Sea level varies with tides and location, so nations establish a fixed benchmark for consistent altitude surveys.
Spain’s Zero-level Location
- First stair of Alicante City Hall
- Denoted Alicante N.P.1 as the national zero point
Why Alicante?
- Minimal tidal range on its coastline
- 1871 survey linked Madrid’s Observatory to Alicante’s City Hall stairway
- Benchmark fixed at 3.407 m, enabling calculation of Madrid’s zero (625.562 m)
City Hall Architecture
- 18th-c. Baroque palace (1699–1780)
- 49 m façade with three levels and corner towers
- Main entrance on Plaza del Ayuntamiento; rear on Plaza de Santa Faz
- Notable interiors: Blue Hall & Queen Isabella II’s royal chamber
Visit Alicante and stand at the step from which all of Spain’s altitudes are measured: the iconic City Hall stair.
How to get there
Coordinates:
Decimal: 38.345278°, -0.481389°
DMS: 38°20'43" N, 0°28'53" O
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