Madrid's Palacio de Telecomunicaciones in Cibeles square
Madrid [1] is the capital of Spain, as well as the capital of the autonomous community of the same name (Comunidad de Madrid). It is Spain's largest city, with a population (city) of 3.228 million (July 2005) and 5.843 million (metropolitan area). Madrid is best known for its great cultural and artistic heritage, a good example of which is the El Prado museum. Madrid also boasts some of the liveliest nightlife in the world.
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SEE DO EAT
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 SEE
- Museo del Prado, Paseo de Prado s/n, +34 90 2107077, Metro:Atocha or Banco de España, Bus lines 9, 10, 14, 19, 27, 34, 37 and 45, [3]. Tu-Su: 9:00 - 20:00, Closed on Mondays and some holidays. Tickets 6€, students, children, etc. 3€, free on Sundays. One of the finest art collections in the world and the best collection of classical art in Madrid. Includes many different Collections: the Spanish (El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya), the Flemish and Dutch (Rubens, van Dyck, and Brueghel), Italian (Botticelli, Tintoretto Caravaggio, and Veronese) and German (Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, and Baldung Grien). Some highlights not to miss at the Prado:
- The Bosch masterpiece The Garden of Earthly Delights.
- The famous Velazquez piece Las Meninas.
- The Black Paintings of Goya.
- The Third of May 1808 also by Goya.
- Adoration of the Shepards by El Greco.
- David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio.
- Reina Sofía National Museum and Art Center, Santa Isabel 52, 28012 Madrid, metro Atocha.), ? +34 91 7741000 (fax: +34 91 7741056), [4]. Mo-Sa: 10.00 - 21.00, Su 10.00 - 14.30. Houses Madrid's best collection of modern art. It includes many of Pablo Picasso's most revered works including the renowned Guernica. The Reina Sofía also houses masterpieces by Miró, Kandinsky, Dalí, Bacon, and more. €6, free after 14:00 on Saturday, free on Sundays.
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum of Art, [5]. Opens from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. The ticket office closes at 6:30 p.m. The Museum is closed all day on January 1, May 1 and December 25. Contains a large art collection including masterpieces by Monet, Goya, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, Mondrian, Bacon and Lichtenstein. Tickets are about €6.
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Good starting points for happenings around town are the Madrid Tourism Board website and esMADRID website. Downloading the esMADRID magazine is also a good idea.
- Circulo de Bellas Artes Calle Marqués de Casa Riera 2, +34 91 5225092, metro Banco de España, [12]. A non-profit cultural center located a short walk from Sol, the CBA offers up a wide variety of events and shows including film, music, art displays, dance, theater and more. Check out their website (in Spanish) for a listing of activities.
- There are a number of free, English language periodicals that you will find in bars and restaurants that are a great source of event information. The In Madrid newspaper [13] comes out once a month and has a number of articles and information about events around town. The Broad Sheet [14] is a free, glossy lifestyle magazine covering a range of topics and events. Aimed mostly at the college crowd, European Vibe [15] has listings for bars, restaurants and parties happening in Madrid. Check the websites for current distribution points.
- Check out some Flamenco - Visit the Corral de la Moreria [16], one of the most famous flamenco tablaos in the world. It´s right in the heart of the city, and you can enjoy a full fledged Spanish meal while you watch performances by renowned international flamenco music and dance artists.
- Stroll on El Retiro (Madrid's biggest park near the Prado Museum and by Puerta Alcalá Monument), Madrid of the Hagsburgs (center of Madrid, where you can go out for tapas) and Paseo del Prado (a pedestrian walkway full of fountains and trees near the famous museum).
- Have your portrait drawn in the Plaza Mayor. Generally very good quality and the prices are very reasonable.
- La Transhumancia. A yearly festival (of sorts), in which the center of Madrid is traffic free and instead the streets are filled with shepherds exercising their ancient right to drive sheep and livestock through the city.
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EAT
Madrid, as is the case for any European Capìtal of similar size, has a wide variety of restaurants serving both Spanish and practically all types of international cuisine. Both quality and prices vary tremendously, particularly since Madrid has become a major focus for international tourism. Over the past years, central Madrid, particularly the area around Plaza Santa Ana and Plaza Mayor has become a major tourist trap where prices have sky-rocketed and quality has generally dropped. Plaza Mayor and the surrounding streets are particularly notorious for high prices and low quality. If you want to spend a sunny afternoon in Mayor don't purchase any foods there, just drinks, and usually just beer since mixed drinks are watered down or cheaply made.
A much better option is the La Latina neighborhood just south of Plaza Mayor, especially along the Cava Baja street. If you want to find a restaurant on your own you should try wandering through the area bounded by the Alonso Martinez, San Bernardo, Noviciado and Chueca metro stops. There are a number of tasty, reasonably priced restaurants in this area along with a lively nightlife. One can also eat well and relatively inexpensively at a number of Madrid's local bars, especially in the city center. At bars one generally orders various sized plates, a ración meaning a full dish, a media ración a half dish or a smaller version which would be a tapa, a pinxto or a pincho.
If you are looking for a cheaper alternative or you want food for a picnic you can try the Corte Ingles on Calle de Preciados near Sol. The basement of this store has a fully stocked supermercado that includes a deli, bakery and fresh produce. There are also a number of deli-like shops along Calle Arenal that offer food para llevar (for take away). Also, if you are looking for cheaper food try any of the Museo del Jamon scattered throughout the city. They offer deli take out service as well as tapas and raciónes at fairly reasonable prices.
Don't forget that many Spanish do not eat until 8 or 9pm; many restaurants do not open until this time. You will have a wider selection if you wait until later in the evening.
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