Madrid travel guide
The charm of the old quarters, the exquisite sierra light, the superb art collections and the vibrancy of the long, long night: these are a few of the attractions of Madrid, the capital of Spain.
Spain’s capital city has plenty to offer visitors of all tastes and budgets. World-class art collections in the Museo del Prado, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Michelin-starred restaurants like El Club Allard and the designer shops of Salamanca cater for those who like the finer things in life. Then there are the historic cafés and bars around Plaza Santa Ana, the breath of fresh air that is the Parque del Retiro and the city’s vibrant nightlife, including the happening gay quarter of Chueca. The Plaza Dos de Mayo is a reminder of Madrid’s turbulent past.
Think of Paris or Rome, and familiar images spring to mind. But Madrid is more elusive, with an old heart hidden behind its smart new shopping streets. Over the past decades, democracy has brought new dynamism, prosperity and splendid cultural attractions to a city created on the caprice of a king in 1561. Similar to New York, Madrid is a city that never sleeps thanks to its buzzing bars, terrific tapas and eclectic nightlife – from exclusive clubs to corner-café flamenco. Even in difficult times, the locals still know how to enjoy themselves.
Madrid's dramatic history
Settled by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, Madrid was occupied by the Moors in AD711. Under Mohammed I, the Moors fortified the town in 865, and made it a walled city. Just over two centuries later, in 1083, Madrid was reconquered by King Alfonso VI. Fernando IV summoned the Courts of the Kingdom in 1309, the Catholic Monarchs ordered the de-fortification of the city’s walls and gates in 1476 and, in 1561, Felipe II moved the court here from Toledo, making Madrid the capital of a vast empire.
The early part of the next century, during the Habsburg era, saw the addition of the Plaza Mayor. The House of Bourbon succeeded the Habsburgs, and it was this dynasty that was responsible for many of the grand buildings and monuments that adorn the city today. Among these are the Royal Palace, completed in 1764; the Alcalá gate, raised in 1778 to honour Carlos III’s entry into the city as king, and the Prado Museum constructed between 1785 and 1819. During the Spanish Civil War, the city was subject to a siege by the Nationalist forces, whose eventual entry into Madrid effectively ended hostilities.
The modern capital
Madrid is the largest city in Spain and, at an elevation of 655m (2,100ft), the highest capital in Europe. The ambiance of this hustling, bustling modern city reflects an intriguing blend of old and new. It also makes a good base for exploring several nearby historic cities, such as Toledo, and sights including the royal palace El Escorial.
Places to visit in Madrid
Outstanding Spanish art at the Museo Nacional del Prado
The Prado houses the world’s greatest collection of Spanish paintings, and a particularly strong set of Italian and Flemish masterpieces. If time is short, plan ahead and decide what you most want to see. Likely top-of-the-list sights are works by El Greco (1541–1614), Ribera (1591–1652), Zurbarán (1598–1664), Felipe IV’s court painter Velázquez (1599–1660, whose Las Meninas, or Maids of Honour, is said to be Spain’s favourite painting), Murillo (1617–82), and magnificent Goya (1746–1828). Of the Dutch and Flemish masters, be sure not to miss works by Hieronymous Bosch (known as ‘El Bosco’) and Rubens. The Italian Old Masters include works by Raphael, Titian and Tintoretto.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, for a display of major art movements
This imposing museum, housed in the Palacio de Villahermosa, near the Plaza de Cánovas, is one of the largest private art collections in the world. It gives a dazzling overview of medieval northern European paintings, 17th-century Dutch Old Masters, 19th-century North American paintings and 20th-century Russian Constructivists and German Expressionists.
Impressive royal style at Palacio Real
Felipe V commissioned the imposing French-style Palacio Real on the site of the old Moorish fort, and furnished its 2,000 rooms (more than any other European palace except the Hermitage in St Petersburg) in a suitably regal fashion. It was the principal residence of Spanish kings from Felipe’s time in the mid-18th century until Alfonso XIII was exiled in 1931. Visit at your leisure, or join one of the hour-long tours that take in around 50 rooms, including the overwhelmingly rococo Gasparini Room, the Ceremonial Dining Room with seating for 145 guests, and the Throne Room with its stunning Tiepolo ceiling frescoes. Also worth seeing are the Royal Armoury, the Pharmacy and the Library.
Guernica at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Located just off the bottom end of the Paseo del Prado, near Atocha station, this art centre is a popular showcase for art of the 20th and 21st centuries, with highlights including Picasso’s massive Guernica.
Parque del Retiro for a green stroll
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buen_Retiro_Park
If the sightseeing and the bustle get too much, the enormous Parque del Retiro behind the Prado is a favourite spot for Madrileños out for a stroll. Originally a 17th-century Habsburg hunting ground, it offers 121 hectares (300 acres) of leafy avenues, flower beds and park benches, as well as a rose garden, boating lake and Sunday morning sideshows.
Tapas at Plaza Santa Ana
This square, which forms the heart of the hip Santa Ana district – good for foodies – is a great place to start el tapeo, the ‘tapas crawl’.
Watch the world go by at Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor or Main Square, west of the Puerta del Sol, is a 17th-century beauty, even if it is no longer the centre of town as it was in ages past, when autos-da-fe, bullfights and coronations took place there. The wide, cobbled pedestrian square is a pleasant if pricey spot to have coffee and watch the world go by. Just west of the Plaza Mayor is the Mercado de San Miguel, a local market in a lacy early 20th-century ironwork.
Puerta del Sol, Madrid's centre
Dominated by the iconic Tío Pepe sign, it’s the bustling heart of Madrid, buzzing with shoppers, tourists and night owls. Here you will find Kilometre Zero, a pavement plaque in front of the clock tower, from which all distances are measured.
El Escorial
The palatial monastery-retreat of El Escorial, created by Felipe II, is sometimes dubbed the 'eighth wonder of the world'. It's easily accessible from Madrid in a day trip. El Escorial is the material realisation of the obsession of one man, Felipe II. A huge construction, built between 1563 and 1584, it takes its theme from a victory over the French in 1557 at St Quentin (now San Lorenzo’s fiesta day), and incorporated the royal family’s mausoleum. Felipe II, an introverted, deeply religious man, wanted a place in which he could retreat from his duties as king of the world’s mightiest empire and be surrounded by monks, rather than courtiers, so El Escorial was designed as an austere royal residence, a library and a monastery for the Order of Hieronymites. The enormous quadrilateral of granite stuck on to the flanks of the Sierra de Guadarrama is chillingly austere and vast. Despite his reputation for gloomy fanaticism, Felipe II had an eye for art, and some of his best acquisitions have remained at El Escorial: canvases by Titian, Veronese and Tintoretto hang alongside works by Hieronymus Bosch and other masters from Flanders, which was then a Spanish territory. The richly decorated Royal Pantheon, located under the altar of the vast basilica, holds the remains of 23 kings and queens of Spain – the latter being admitted only if they had become the mother of a future sovereign.
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