The cosmopolitan Spanish capital, Madrid is a modern city filled with vibrant life and cultural attractions. With over 3 million inhabitants, Madrid is the largest city of Spain. It is a city of fascinating art collections, interesting architecture, vivid nightlife, and excellent shopping possibilities. Due to its central location in Spain, Madrid is also an excellent base for onward traveling in Spain.
Culture for everyone. In addition to its museums, the Spanish capital is famous for is the energetic nightlife and contemporary culture with regular concerts in Madrid. The excellent possibilities for shopping in Madrid also please many, and golf in Madrid, as well as spas in Madrid offer good refreshment between your city activities. For those wanting to enjoy Spanish culture, a visit in Corral de la Moreria, where you can enjoy high class flamenco performances, is recommended. Those who dare might also want to see some bullfighting, which is easily found in Madrid, just as entertainment from opera and theatre to soccer. The Madrid Zoo is also very impressive.
Historical attractions. For architecture lovers there are also many interesting sites such as the enormous Royal Palace, or the many fascinating churches and cathedrals in Madrid. In addition to the cultural sites found in the heart of Madrid, there are also some interesting sites located in the surroundings of the city. These UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Old towns of Segovia and Avila and the cultural landscape of Aranjuez, are suitable day-trip destinations from Madrid.
Madrid - the city of art, cultural attractions and entertainment facilities
Madrid is known as an art city that hosts excellent collections to please the taste of the most demanding art lovers. The best art collections in Madrid can be found in the so-called “Golden art museum triangle”, composed of three world-famous art museums; Reina Sofia, Museo Del Prado, and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Together these three museums in Madrid house Spain's best collection of art, including many famous paintings from master painters such as Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh.Culture for everyone. In addition to its museums, the Spanish capital is famous for is the energetic nightlife and contemporary culture with regular concerts in Madrid. The excellent possibilities for shopping in Madrid also please many, and golf in Madrid, as well as spas in Madrid offer good refreshment between your city activities. For those wanting to enjoy Spanish culture, a visit in Corral de la Moreria, where you can enjoy high class flamenco performances, is recommended. Those who dare might also want to see some bullfighting, which is easily found in Madrid, just as entertainment from opera and theatre to soccer. The Madrid Zoo is also very impressive.
Historical attractions. For architecture lovers there are also many interesting sites such as the enormous Royal Palace, or the many fascinating churches and cathedrals in Madrid. In addition to the cultural sites found in the heart of Madrid, there are also some interesting sites located in the surroundings of the city. These UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as Old towns of Segovia and Avila and the cultural landscape of Aranjuez, are suitable day-trip destinations from Madrid.
Practical information for your trip to Madrid
Weather in Madrid is dry and hot in the summer, but wet and cool in the winter.
Photo: Zabarqal, used under Creative Commons License (By SA 2.0)
Whereas summertime temperatures in Madrid easily reach 30 degrees Celsius, winter months from November to March are much cooler, with temperatures of about 10-15 degrees Celsius. The best time to travel to Madrid is therefore between April and October, except for maybe July and August, which show you all the power of sunshine in Spain, and can thus be too hot for those not accustomed to hot temperatures.
How to get there. Flights to Madrid are available from many parts of the world. You can also travel to Madrid by train and bus from many European countries. Once you have made it here, finding restaurants in Madrid will be no problem, and hotels in Madrid are also widely available. Nightlife in Madrid is very lively, and has plenty of attractions to offer to tourists as well as local people. Public transportation in Madrid is offered by metro and bus networks. Taxis are well available, and rental cars in Madrid can be easily found at the airport.
Safety. Except for its chaotic traffic, and for petty crime such as pick-pocketing, Madrid is a quite safe destination. Be sure to watch your belongings in the crowded metro, though. English is spoken by many educated locals, but learning some phrases in Spanish is likely to make your visit to Madrid easier.
