Visiting Madrid

(Madrid, Spain)

An outstanding capital city full of cultural attractions, Madrid is one of Europe's most alluring cities. Boasting a particularly high concentration of museums and art galleries, the city of Madrid also offers many large parklands, historic architecture and spacious public squares.

Madrid is also famed for its football, with regular matches often available at both the Estadio Vicente Calderón and the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

This is an enormous city and its extreme popularity is met with a huge selection of hotels and apartments, with a growing demand fuelled by prevalent budget airlines and subsequent cheap holidays to Spain. Madrid apartment rentals are a good choice for some, while others prefer luxury hotels in the lively Centro, Arganzuela, Salamanca and Los Austrias areas. Accommodation is also in good supply within the districts (barrios) of Atocha, Huertas and Sol, where narrow streets and plazas are lined with cafe tables. Also worth considering are hotels and apartments within the neighbourhoods of Barajas, Chueca, El Retiro, Latina and Malasana, and close to the Paseo del Prado and the Complutense University of Madrid.

Visiting Madrid: Places to Visit

• Bus tours of Madrid, lasting just over one hour and taking in many of the city's most impressive sights, including commentary in English and tickets which are valid for a whole day
• Walking tours of Madrid, popular during the summer months and lasting around 90 minutes, passing many historic sights and often led by experienced English-speaking guides
• Estación de Atocha, a historic railway station dating back to the mid-19th century, now home to a vast tropical garden with around 7,000 different tropical plants in all shapes and sizes
• Warner Bros Movie World, a lively theme park opened in 2002 and particularly popular with families visiting the Madrid area, featuring live entertainment and plenty of fast rides
• Plaza de Toros Monumental de Las Ventas, an important bullring built in 1934 and famed for its neo-Mudéjar facade
• Faunia, a vast animal park incorporating many attractions, including enormous conservatories, landscaped gardens and around 4,000 different animals, previously named the Parque Biológico de Madrid
• Palacio Real, Madrid's Royal Palace, dating back to the early 18th century and taking many years to complete, featuring an impressive exterior, despite being restricted by limited finances during its construction
• Fuente de Neptuno, a grand and elaborate 18th-century fountain, depicting Neptune and a number of other stone carvings
• Museo del Arte Contemporáneo al Aire Libre, Madrid's popular Open Air Museum of Contemporary Art, home to many notable contemporary paintings and sculptures
• Puerta de Alcalá (Alcalá Gate), a grand and historic gateway now listed in Madrid as a national monument, located on the Plaza de Independencia
• Parque del Retiro (Park of the Retreat), boasting a glass palace, large lake and regular horse-drawn carriage rides