TOP 10 EXPERIENCES IN MADRID
ROYAL PALACE
The Palacio Real de Madrid (literally: Royal Palace of Madrid) is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family at the city of Madrid, but is only used for state ceremonies. King Felipe VI and the Royal Family do not reside in the palace, choosing instead the more modest Palacio de la Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid. The palace is owned by the Spanish State and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional, a public agency of the Ministry of the Presidency. The palace is located on Calle de Bailén (Bailén Street), in the Western part of downtown Madrid, East of the Manzanares River, and is accessible from the Ópera metro station. Several rooms in the palace are regularly open to the public except during state functions. An admission fee of €11 is required except for residents of the Iberian Peninsula. (Wikipedia)
PRADO MUSEUM
The Museo del Prado - Prado Museum - is considered to house one of the finest art collections in the world. It displays thousands of European paintings, sculptures, and other works of art throughout its halls - and this is only a fraction of their collection! The Prado specializes in European art from the 12th-19th century (Madrid's Reina Sofia Museum is home to the post-19th century art), that was built from the Spanish Royal Collection. The most famous piece in the collection that is on display at the Prado is Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez.
PLAZA MAYOR
Plaza Mayor, a large square in central Madrid, serves as a meeting place for tourists and locals alike, and has hosted a variety of festivities throughout history, including bull fights, soccer matches, and executions during the Spanish Inquisition. The plaza was built in the early 17th century during King Felipe III's reign. The most prominent of the buildings in the plaza is the Casa de la Panaderia - House of the Baker's Guild, which today serves municipal and cultural functions. You can find many shops and eateries around Plaza Mayor. If you are looking for food, this is the best place to come. La Escondida is a small bar, but it is very comfortable, and the music being played at the bar is normally some sort of jazz or blues. And you can find an excellent selection of cheese; in particular the 'Torta al Casar' - a soft sheep's milk cheese from the province of Extremadura - is very good. There is also a house speciality of cured meats which you must try. Their address is: Puerta Cerrada 6. Tel. 91 365 91 9.
MERCADO DE SAN MIGUEL
Take a walk through this local market and you can find all the different seafood being sold here. Enjoy the salmon sashimi, and buy the jamon Iberico (best ham in the world)
SHOPPING IN GRAN VIA
This is the best place for you to do your shopping. You find a mixture of high end shops, eateries, and bars that cover both ends of the spectrum, and thus this lively bustling street is best enjoyed at night when the locals and tourists alike come out to eat, drink, and mingle into the wee hours of the morning.
Gran Vía runs through central Madrid from Calle de Alcalá in the east to Plaza de España in the west. There are a number of hotels which are located here.
Go up to the top floor in El Corte Ingles, which is a big department store in Plaza Callao to the Gourmet section. You will find the best selection of cheese, wines, caviar, foie gras, or even ingredients for making the tacos.
TAPAS - SPANISH CUISINE
The good thing about these modern Tapas is that they provide the customer with a wide variety of foods, meaning you can sample many different Spanish delicacies all at the same time. And you often see the pictures of the various kinds of tapas being displayed outside the restaurant, below the sign board. Do not forget to try paella.
BOTIN RESTAURANT
This is listed on the Guinness World of Records as the oldest restaurant in the world and it was opened in 1725. It serves Mediterranean food in a traditional setting. You must try the cuchinillo asado (roast suckling pig) as well as the cordero asado (roast lamb) here. The average price of a 3-course meal is about 40 euros. Hemingway mentioned that this was the best restaurant to him.
FLAMENCO SHOW
Tablao Las Carboneras
Tablao Las Carboneras is located in the most traditional Madrid, the Madrid of the Austrias, in the basement of the old palace of the Count of Miranda.
Born from the idea of recovering the old cabarets, this tablao and restaurant combines flamenco and avant-garde image with the best of nowadays flamenco.
Since opening in October 2000, renowned figures have passed through our tablao. Artists such as Pastora Galván, Jorge Pardo , Rocío Molina, Montse Cortés, Belén Maya, Manuel Liñán, Alfonso Losa, Marco Flores, Olga Pericet, “La Shica”… prestigious names that have been integrated into a group of artists who was founded by the members and dancers Manuela Vega, Tacha and Ana Romero, who have created a new approach to tablao flamenco through its long experience in these research areas and in other areas within dance. Tablao Las Carboneras has created his own label and has driven a trend renewing this art in Madrid.
BULL FIGHTING SHOW
Bullfights are among the most popular shows in Madrid. This is one of the oldest and most established customs in Spain. The origins of bullfighting go back to the 17th century. Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring (Plaza de Toros de las Ventas) has bullfights every Sunday from the beginning of March until October. The main holidays surrounding the custom are the Feria de San Isidro and the Feria de Otoño (autumn). The bullfights begin in the afternoon and can last up to three hours, depending on the type of bull and the performance of the bullfighter. The entrance fee for a bullfight can range from 10€ to 100€, according to the seat and the bullfighter’s popularity.
DAY TRIPS
SEGOVIA
From its ancient Roman aqueduct to its 13th century castle, this city is full of symbols representing its inhabitants of the past. Originally established by the Romans, Segovia later became a summer retreat for Spanish monarchs as a hide away in their castle on the hillside. The castle, known as the "Alcazar", was destroyed in the 19th century and rebuilt later. This is one day trip you need to go and this is the place for you to eat the roast suckling pig.
TOLEDO - World UNESCO Heritage Site
In December 1987, the UNESCO declared Toledo a World Heritage Site. Due to its special history, since in the past the city was host to Christian, Islamic and Hebrew culture, there are many ancient mosque, Gothic or Mudejar churches of Romanesque or Visigothic structure, synagogues and even Renaissance palace.
The historic city centre sits on a craggy rock, and it is encircled by a wide meander of the Tagus river, called the Tajo in Spanish. The Roman historian Tito Livio mentioned the city of Toletum, a term whose origin would be Tollitum, meaning "raised aloft". The city's historic centre is one of the largest in Spain, and has more than 100 monuments. This is a MUST VISIT place and you should visit it on a day trip from Madrid.
Make a trip to Spain and enjoy in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.
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