Madrid City Guide

The capital of Spain is an exciting vibrant city with lots to offer its visitors, great museums, historical buildings, flamenco shows, a lively nightlife and wonderful tapas.

What to do and see in and around Madrid

The Prado
The Prado Museum boasts over 7000 paintings and has a one-of-a-kind collection of painting of the Spanish school. Apart from the Spanish masters the collection also includes many major Italian and Flemish artists.

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
Spain’s national gallery of modern art is one of the largest contemporary arts museums in the world. The collection’s main focus is on artists from the 20th century such as Dalí, Miró and Picasso. Picasso’s Guernica is one of the highlights.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
The Thyssen Museum opened to the public in 1992. At the time the Spanish Government acquired the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection it was considered the most important private art collection in the world. The collection spans from the 13th to the 20th century including artists like Van Gogh, Monet and Rubens.

The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace is no longer the home of Royalty but is sometimes used for state occasions. The impressive Palace was built in the mid eighteenth century. As a visitor you get to see 50 of the beautifully decorated rooms. But the Palace boasts no less than 2800 rooms!

Catedral de Santa María la Real de la Almudena
The Almudena Cathedral, situated next to the Royal Palace, took a long time to build. It was designed in 1879 by the Marques of Cubas but the construction was not finished until 1993 when it was consecrated by Pope John Paul II.

Plaza Mayor
The Plaza Mayor is Madrid’s main square. In the centre of the square is a statue of Philip III who ordered the construction of Plaza Mayor. Visitors as well as locals come here to relax in the many bars and cafés surrounding the square.

Casa del Campo
The Casa del Campo just south of the Royal Palace is one of Europe’s largest public parks and serves as a great green oasis. Within the park you can find a lake, zoo and a cable car offering great views.

Palacio de Cristal
Madrid’s beautiful Crystal Palace in the Retiro Park is a great iron and glass domed building. The building is modelled on London’s Crystal Palace and houses temporary art exhibitions.

Archaeological Museum
Madrid’s Archaeological Museum displays artefacts from Prehistoric times to the Renaissance. Highlights include replicas of cave paintings, art from the middle ages and Ancient Greek and Roman pieces.

Bullfighting
Madrid’s main bullring is called Las Ventas. It’s a magnificent building made out of red brick and tiles. The best time to see Bullfights is during the San Isidro festival held in May and June each year when the best matadors and bulls come for 20 days of fighting and festivities.