Spain’s capital is a wild, pulsating beast of a city. Its nightlife is as intense as the sunshine on an August afternoon. You’ll find some of the world’s greatest artistic masterpieces hanging in the city’s galleries, the greatest footballers strutting their stuff at Real Madrid’s Estadio Bernabeu and super-stylish locals on the shopping streets behind Gran Via.
So much to see, so much to do, but… where to begin?
Start the day with Churros con Chocolate
Photo: AVLXYZ
If you are looking for a breakfast that will give you the kind of sugar rush needed to tackle a big city, churros con chocolate is it. Churros are deep fried doughy tubes, rather like long, thin, donuts, which are covered in sugar. Chocolate is hot chocolate, but not like you know it. The chocolate that comes with churros is so thick and creamy that it forms a gloopy, sweet layer on the pastry and is best eaten with a combination of churro, spoon and slurp.
Funnily enough, the churro, a most Spanish food, actually has its origins in China. When Portuguese sailors returned from Ming Dynasty China, they brought with them the recipe for Youtiao, a kind of long, spherical Chinese donut. Churros have their distinctive star shape because the Chinese Emperor made sharing knowledge with foreigners – including the secret of round donuts – a crime punishable by death. When the sailors returned, they improvised by pushing the dough through a star shaped mould.
Visit the Prado/Reina Sofia
Madrid’s art museums are among the finest in the world. The two most popular museums are the Prado and the Reina Sophia, which offer different styles for different tastes.
The Museo del Prado covers European art from the 12th century to the early 19th century, with the collection based on the former Spanish royal collection. The best known work on display at the museum is Las Meninas by Velázquez, who was personally involved in bringing much of the Prado’s collection to Spain in the first place. A number of his other great works and those by other painters such as El Greco and Goya also hang here.
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is dedicated to modern art, mainly from Spanish artists. The exhibit that draws the crowds is Picasso’s Guernica, which is incredible to see at first hand, but there’s plenty more to take in, including temporary exhibitions and some gnarly Dalis. It’s free to enter on a Sunday morning too and the crowds rarely make it to the top floor.
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Home of Real Madrid’s galacticos, the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is a must-see for all football fans. If you’re not lucky enough to get tickets to a match, you can always take a tour during the daytime, when you see behind the scenes of life at the self proclaimed greatest football club in the world.
On the tour, you get to walk through the visitors’ changing room, sit in the dugout by the side of the pitch, get a view from the top of the stands, pose with a replica Champions League trophy, stroke Iker Casillas’ beard… actually, you can’t stroke his beard, but you do get to see some of his gloves. And then you have the chance to go souvenir crazy in the gift shop.
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Paseo de la Castellana, 144, 28046 Madrid
El Rastro
El Rastro is a historic flea market held from 9am to 3pm in the historic city centre every Sunday, and also on public holidays. With an estimated 3500 different stalls, the market runs through several streets in an old, working-class neighbourhood. The Plaza de Cascorro is the heart of the market, which reaches as far as the river.
Calle Ribera de Curtidores is where some of the main action happens. It’s supposed to be Europe’s largest market, so practise your haggling and grab some gangas (bargains).
Photo: Ibán
Perhaps the menu del dia goes some way to explaining the Spanish love of siestas. Turn up to a restaurant in the early afternoon, get comfortable in your seat and prepare to gorge on great value Spanish food. Typically costing around €9 to €15 in Madrid (and cheaper elsewhere in Spain), the menu del dia includes a selection of starters, main courses and puddings, all of which is accompanied by a bottle of wine.
The portions are usually huge and restaurateurs take pride in sending customers waddling away into the afternoon sun and in search of somewhere to lie down. If you need somewhere for a nap, you could consider…
Parque del Buen Retiro
Photo: sbrimbrillina
Madrid’s main city park is gorgeous. With plenty of dappled shade and tempting benches to help you avoid the hot Spanish sun, a stroll in the park is the best antidote to the hustle and bustle of the city streets. Or to sleep off that menu del dia.
The Monument to Alfonso XII and boating lake the heart of the park and you will often here some seriously funky busking going on by the sides of the lake. The Paseo de la Argentina has large marble statues of various Spanish royals from history.
Get a great view of the city
Photo: Ibontxo
Madrid feels like a big city. The streets and buildings are on a large scale, the museums are among the best in the world and you can find somewhere to eat or drink 24 hours a day. To get an idea of the scale of the city, you need to check it out from above.
Until 2005, the Faro de Moncloa in the university district was the viewing platform of choice, but since that was declared a fire risk and closed to the public, the Teleferico has been the platform of choice.
Alternatively, if you want to hang out with Spanish celebrities in a bar owned by Cindy Crawford’s husband, look no further than The Penthouse, where you can enjoy fantastic views over the inner city. The super-chic bar is situated on top of the Hotel ME Madrid Reina Victoria on Plaza Santa Ana. If you’re on a budget or arrive to find a huge queue, there are some lovely tapas bars in the square below.
What do you think?