Lively Spain
Madrid is the capital and largest municipality of Spain and it is the residence of the Spanish monarch.Whether you are in town for three days or three weeks, you must go to the Plaza Mayor, where you can relax with an expensive cup of ‘cafe con leche’.
The Museo del Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza make up Madrid’s Art Triangle but they are not the only places where you can see art.
You might not realise it, but beautiful Madrid has a lot of green spaces. The biggest one is the Casa de Campo, five times bigger than New York’s Central Park. The interior features a large lake, the Madrid Zoo and the Madrid Arena.
From the rooftop terrace patio of the Circulo de Bellas Artes you can see the whole city, its great avenues, famous monuments, green spaces, and the Cuatro Torres and watch the sun set.
One of the locals’ prefered pastimes is to go out for a drink. You will find most of the bars and restaurants in streets like Cava Baja, Cava Alta or around Plaza de la Cebada.
When you visit a city, it is just as important to try the local cuisine as it is to see in the art and culture. Ask for calamari sandwich, the streets around Plaza Mayor are full of home-grown cafe bars where you will always find these sandwiches.
The Malasana neighbourhood is buzzing at night. It is worth wandering around the barrio to stumble upon some of the new spots. If a night out dancing is more your thing, you will also have plenty of choice too.
Madrid’s summer festival season is the best time to see the capital in all its splendour. But Spring has its share of celebrations, with Dos de Mayo and the San Isidro festival honouring the patron saint of Madrid with outdoor concerts, street stalls selling food and drink.
If you like football and you are in Madrid, you should discover the main places where the two Madrid’s teams celebrate their titles. Real Madrid’s triumphs happen around the Cibeles fountain at Paseo del Prado and Atletico de Madrid celebrates at the Neptuno fountain. Thousands of fans come to see the football stars, who usually arrive by bus, and the place turns into a real party.
