Let's Discover Madrid

Spain's capital city, Madrid, is centrally placed in the middle of the country. The city sits on a high plateau with the Sierra de Gredos (Gredos Mountain Range) to its northwest The heart of Madrid is open with grand architecture and wide avenues. Being relatively compact it is easy to explore and enjoy the ambiance in all its glory.

Flights into Madrid arrive at the Barajas International Airport which lies 15km to the east of the city. Transport to the centre of Madrid is by hire car (take A-2 Barcelona route to the M-30 highway) taxi, route 89 bus or the metro underground train system which can take you all over wonderful city.  To help you get around it is possible to buy a city pass. The metro system is very user friendly even for foreigners and the automatic ticket machines are multilingual.  Its all very similar to the London Underground but the maps could certainly gain from a "you are here" arrow.

Madrid is also well served by trains.  Estación de Atocha (Atocha Railway Station) with its very own indoor botanical garden, is the largest railway station in Madrid. It is one of the two main train stations, the other being Chamartin. It is the primary station serving commuter, intercity and regional trains from the south, and the AVE high speed trains from Malaga, Seville and Barcelona. These train services are run by the Spanish national rail company, RENFE.  This was Madrid's first railway station. It was inaugurated on 9th February 1851. After the building was largely destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt and reopened in 1892. The architect for the replacement, in a wrought iron renewal style was Alberto de Palacio Elissagne, who collaborated with Gustave Eiffel. In 1992 the trains were moved to a new part of the building and the 19th ironwork structure was converted into a concourse with shops, cafés, a nightclub, and a 4,000 m² covered tropical garden. The station was in the International Media because of the 11th March 2004 train bombings.

Unfortunately Madrid does not enjoy the best of climates. The locals moan of having three months of bad weather while the remaining nine months are awful. This can be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly if you are from colder regions, but the winters are cold with biting winds while the heat of summer is best avoided by all but mad dogs. Typically most "Madrileños" head for the coasts or mountains whenever they can. As with most of Spain, spring and autumn are the best times to visit.

Whatever the weather there is always somewhere to get away from it all. With so many fine cafes, bars and restaurants you certainly will not starve here. Madrid being cosmopolitan, is not famous for any particular regional dish but this does not detract from the quality of what is on offer and it certainly adds to the variety. Restaurants in Madrid set a very high standard so visit the side streets and uncover small specialist tapas bars or hidden restaurants offering gastronomic delights.

The famous Museo del Prado (Prado Museum), houses one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century through to the early 19th century.  The collection derives from the former Spanish Royal Collection. Although mainly a museum of paintings and sculpture, it also contains important collections of more than 5,000 drawings, 2,000 prints, 1,000 coins and medals, and almost 2,000 decorative objects and works of art. Sculpture is represented by more than 700 works and by a smaller number of sculptural fragments. The Prado Museum was built during the reign of Carlos III in the 18th century.  It is considered by many to be the best neoclassical building in Madrid. Its collection of paintings is one of the best in the world, housing the works of the great Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, Murillo, Zurbaran, Rafael and Rubens amongst others.

The Museo del Prado is complemented by the The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (The Queen Sophia Museum of Modern Art).

If you want to take a break from sight seeing what could be better than a stroll through the huge expanse of the Parque de Retiro (Retreat Park) which is ideal for a relaxing away from the heat and the traffic. The park was created as a royal park, it belonged to the Real Sitio del Buen Retiro palace which was built for Filipe IV in 1632. At the time the park was well outside the city walls, but now Madrid has completely encircled it. This 130 hactare royal park was finally opened to the public in 1868. It is partially laid out in a formal French style, while other parts are more natural. Close to the northern gate is a large artificial lake, the Estanque del Retiro where you can even rent a rowing boat. A large monument with an equestrian statue of Alfonso XII overlooks the lake.

Plaza de la Puerta del Sol (Square of the Gate of the Sun) is the centre of Spain, quite literally, because here there is the survey marker from which road kilometre distances are calculated.  The kilómetro cero (Kilometre Zero) marker stands on the pavement on the south side of the square, in front of The House of the Post Office with its famous clock tower. Here you will find yourself amidst six different main highways, each having a little bit more of Spain to offer.

In the 15th century Puerta del Sol was as one of the gates in the city wall, which was oriented to the morning sun in the east. Outside the wall, medieval suburbs began to grow around the Christian Wall of the 12th century. The original House of the Post Office, on the south side of the square, was designed by French Architect Maquet and built between 1766 and 1768. The building was the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior and State Security during the Francisco Franco dictatorship. It is currently the seat of the Presidency of the Madrid Community (not to be confused with the municipal government, which is housed elsewhere). Also on its south side, the square holds a mounted statue of Charles III of Spain, nicknamed "El Rey Alcalde" ("the king mayor") by Madrilenians for his public works programme.  Another highlight is the Mariblanca statue of Venus, which is a replica of the real statue in the Municipal Museum. A Metro station named Sol lies under the square

Atop the House of the Post Office stands the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes at midnight on New Year. It's the perfect place to celebrate New Year, watching the giant clocks with faces each side of the tower. Many of the locals celebrate the New Year by this clock. The New Year's celebration has been televised live from here since 1962.

By day the Puerta del Sol is a very busy plaza that houses one of the main bus transfer stations of Madrid. Return to the plaza at night, however, and you will wonder whether you are in the same place. At night it becomes awash in lights, giving the square almost the look of a fantasyland. Those Puerta del Sol shops you did not even notice in the daylight now beckon you with their large neon signs including a huge advertisement for Tio Pepe sherry.

Plaza de la Puerta del Sol is is also a historic square of protest. It was here that the uprising against the French occupiers started in May 1808, and the square is still used regularly by various diverse groups to make their views known, particularly against violence and war. The Puerta has seen protests against such issues as the Basque separatist movement and Spain's involvement in the Iraq War.

El Oso y El Madroño - One of the first attractions everyone writes home about is the 20 tonne statue of a bear eating some fruit from a tree. This is on the north side of Puerta del Sol.  According to tradition this is a 'Madroño tree'.  This is the heraldic symbol of Madrid.  The name has caused a lot of confusion because in North America the term 'Madroño Tree' is used to refer to Arbutus menziesii which is an American species also known as the Pacific Madrone.  Indeed in North America bears are known to eat the fruit of this tree.  But as Madrid is not in the Americas the inspiration for the emblem was more likely an actual Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo). As there were bears around Madrid until quite recently it is perfectly reasonable to suppose they enjoyed the fruits of Arbutus unedo whenever they could just as their American cousins still enjoy the fruits of Arbutus menziesii.

The bear standing on his hind legs has long been the symbol of Madrid.  It is known that Alfonso VIII fought under this banner in 1212.  The tree was added later.   In 1202 disagreements arose between the Town Hall and the clergy regarding the ownership of some mountain and pasture land on the outskirts of Madrid. The trial dragged on for twenty years. Finally, 1222, the court gave the clergy all the pasture and the town hall all the groves of trees.  To celebrate this a tree was added to the shield of the town.  There is no evidence that this was intended to be an Arbutus Tree.  Some claims have been made that it was more likely to have been a European Hackberry (Celtis australis).  I don't suppose we will ever know for certain.

Anyone that has a keen interest in architecture will love to see the Regina Hotel on Alcala Street. El Palacio Real (Royal Palace) and the wonderful Sabatini Gardens are a must for many visitors, while the Plaza de la Cibeles is the real heart of Madrid. Between the two, seek out the historic Plaza Major. It is just off the Calle Major close to the Puerta del Sol and though large, it is mysteriously missed by some.  The vast, cobbled, traffic-free Plaza Mayor, measuring 129 by 94 meters, has a theatrical atmosphere with a Castilian flavour. Nine arched gateways lead visitors into this great square. The statue of Felipe III (Philip III: 1578 – 1621) on horseback stands in the square.

The origins of the Plaza go back to 1581 when Felipe II ( 1527 – 1598) of the House of Habsburg asked Juan de Herrera, a renowned Renaissance architect, to remodel the area. This chunk of 16th and 17th-century Spain stands where Arab merchants once had an extensive marketplace of stalls on the bed of a dry lake outside the city walls of Madrid. At that time it was called the Plaza del Arrabal. It has had several different names over the years. After Madrid had become the capital of Castile this old haphazard market was replaced by a more European style arcaded plaza and marketplace.  This was during a period of anti-Arab feeling just preceding the 1609 decree for the expulsion of the Moors from Spain and between 1609 and 1610 they began to leave the Iberian Peninsula.

The first wooden building on the huge square was completed in 1590. This was the Casa de la Panadería (The Bakery) which contained the offices of the bakers guild that controlled the price of grain and therefore wielded great economic and political influence. The original wooden structures of the Plaza Mayor burned to the ground in 1790 and were then reconstructed as they are today. The rebuilt Casa de la Panadería includes handsome twin towers and spires in the Flemish style. The facade of La Casa de la Panaderia has been recently restored and now bares painted allegorical figures.

Over the centuries the square has borne witness to many events such as the execution of Rodrigo Caleron, Secretary to Felipe III and the beatification of Madrid's patron Saint Isidro, both in 1621. Felipe V, Ferdinand VI and Carlos IV were each proclaimed King here. During the Inquisition, many victims were tried here, paraded around the square with signs listing their many so-called 'sins', and then wickedly burned. Some were even slowly strangled with a garrotte while holding a crucifix as a Christian priest prayed. Lets hope such intolerant times are never allowed to return. More recently it has seen a flood of Rumanian piano accordion players who are have the detrimental effect of squeezing out the more traditional Spanish guitar music which I am sure most people would prefer. In these more enlightened times we don't resort to burning or garrotting them though.

This lovely square is ringed with excellent restaurants where you can enjoy your drink or meal at an outdoor table but some seem to be getting desperate so beware of overly aggressing waiters touting for business.  The simplest thing is just to ignore them completely and wander off to eat with their more respectable neighbours who do not molest you.  That's what we did and were rewarded with an excellent meal at a quite reasonable price.  If you like your food slightly spicy you must try the Pulpo Gallego (Galician-Style Octopus). Basically its cooked octopus served with boiled potatoes, olive oil and garnished with sweet Spanish paprika. Like most octopus dishes anywhere in the world it can be delicious or awful depending on how fresh it is and how it is cooked.  Ours was both fresh and expertly cooked. 

The Calle de Alcalá runs into the main shopping street, the Gran Via. What a sight and what a shoppers' paradise! The large and famous department stores, fashion houses and shoe shops mix with the artisans and craft shops on this long avenue. With its surrounding streets and side alleys combined with long opening hours, Gran Via is the shoppers dream. It is a shame though to see the big multinationals moving in.  If this trend continues every town and city in the world will soon look identical.

The Plaza de Toros Monumental de Las Ventas (the bullring) is the largest in Spain. Recently, live transmission of bullfighting has been withdrawn from Spanish television but "afficianados" (fans) still flock to see this barbaric exhibition of stupidity from May to October.  By all means kill animals for food but this it not what happens in the bullring. 

Another great passion of the "Madrileños" is of course their beloved Real Madrid football club and a visit to the gigantic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is a mecca for many fans. Madrid caters for all tastes and younger visitors often prefer the Warner Brothers Madrid Theme Park, the famous Zoo-Aquarium, Faunia Theme Park, and the Waxworks Museum.

Hotels in Madrid offer the whole range of accommodation as you would expect. From the luxurious five star hotels to the more modest "hostals" or the simple private rooms, everyone's budget is catered for. Note that "hostal" in Madrid is in fact a denomination of an hotel. Don't expect peace and quiet though except perhaps in the very early hours or during siesta if you are lucky! Spain is a noisy country and Madrid never sleeps.

Do not be surprised either that evenings start later than in many places and a night out is just that. Madrid is a great city to be out on the town. Flamenco, blues, salsa and jazz compete with disco, rap and techno as music emanates from every bar, restaurant, club and street corner. At night this is a city full of people enjoying themselves.

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