The city of Madrid is located in the center of Spain, close to a mountain range and several historical towns. The city is known for its many art museums, its food and its nightlife.

Madrid is a city that can be explored on foot, by bike and by taking the public transport. There are many affordable flights that link the city to many other large cities, and the airport is connected to the city center by bus, metro and rail.

The Golden Triangle of Museums

The city center is filled with many museums. The three main art museums are the famous Prado museum, the Reina Sofia museum and the Thyssen Bornemisza museum. These three museums form the Golden Triangle of Museums, which is conveniently located near the centric Atocha train station and the Retiro park. Nearby visitors will find the Naval Museum and the city’s Botanical Gardens.

Retiro Park

This famous park is located in the city center, steps away from many cultural landmarks. The Alcala Gate is located on one side of the park, and the main historical museums are located on the side of the park that is closer to the city center. The park has a pond where visitors will be able to rent rowing boats. The Crystal Palace, a vanguardist structure built of glass that is usually used for exhibitions, is located next to the pond.

There are many other parks in the city. The Madrid Rio park, a renovated park with bike paths and jogging paths on the banks of the Manzanares River, is located steps away from the city center,. West of the city center is the Casa de Campo, an ancient hunting estate connected to the city by public transport and a cable car from where visitors can enjoy views towards the city center. This park has many picnic and sports areas, a lake, a theme park with many roller coasters and a zoo with an aquarium.

The historical city center

The city center is located in the Puerta de Sol area. This square is a popular meeting spot where the statue of a bear climbing up a madroño tree is located. This statue is the symbol of the city. A short walk away is another main square, the Plaza Mayor. Decorated with balconies, statues and terraces, the square hosts street artists and many traditional markets. The streets around the city center were built during the reign of the Hapsburgs and are filled with churches, narrow stone houses with balconies and small squares. These lead towards the Palacio de Oriente, the city’s Royal Palace. Visitors will be able to tour the Royal Palace, which has more than two thousand rooms decorated with antique furniture and art by Velazquez.

La Latina district

The district of La Latina is located a short walk away from the city center. The area is known for its many traditional tapas bars. Tapas are appetizers that are usually served with each drink ordered. There are many varieties of tapas and raciones, which are larger versions of tapas. There are many types of tapas and visitors can join locals in any tapas bar for a drink before ordering another drink with another tapa at the next bar. Try a piece of bread with some steaming tortilla de patatas potato omelet on top, pimientos de padrón peppers served with thick salt, chorizo served in a clay dish straight from the oven, a selection of cheeses from Castilla La Mancha region and a platter of jamón ibérico ham.

El Escorial and other historical towns

Located less than 50 km north of Madrid and close to the Navacerrada mountains, this historical town is known for its monastery. The monastery used to be the city’s Royal Palace. Segovia is located farther to the north, an ancient Roman city where visitors will be able to see the Roman aqueduct, the city’s symbol. After touring the Roman ruins visitors can enjoy a very typical meal consisting of a Judiones de la Granja creamy stew with large white beans, and a roasted suckling pig.