Madrid is the capital of Spain, and is home to the Spanish Royal family as well as the Spanish Government. It is a modern metropolitan city and an economical and industrial center of Spain, and, with its population of nearly 3,5 million people, is also the biggest city in Spain.
It is located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, and is surrounded by mountains and natural parks. Although it is located in the centre of the country, it has traditionally been the hub between different areas of Spain and is therefore connected to all major Spanish cities by train, road or air.
Why you should visit Madrid ?
Madrid has a lot of interesting attractions that offer both culture and amusement. The city is full of great monuments, like the royal palace, the Plaza Mayor or the many statuettes, and for people interested in art, the museums Del Prado, Reina Sofia or Thyssen have some of the most fantastic collections of famous Spanish painters like Velazquez, Goya, Picasso or Miro.
If you like to be entertained, Madrid has two big amusements parks (including the new Warner Bros park) and there are regular international concerts, big flea markets, parades and other activities going on.
To sport enthusiasts Madrid can offer everything from skiing (only 1 hour away by bus) during the winter, to golf all year round, as well as international sporting events and the possibility to practice nearly any sport at the University facilities.
If you like going out at night, Madrid has a very interesting nightlife throughout the whole week and which is available all year round. You can either go out for a tapa (Spanish snack), eat at a very nice restaurant, go to the cinema or one of the many theatres, or find nearly any type of bar or disco.
Museo Nacional del Prado
The Prado Museum, a truly world-class museum that houses a collection of over 5,000 paintings, rivaling even the collections of the Louvre Museum in Paris. Here you can see most of the famous Spanish paintings dating from the 14th century to the beginning of the 19th century. In fact, the beautiful gallery of paintings is what gives the Prado Museum an international reputation. Here is the most important gallery of the works of the most important Spanish painters, Diego Velazquez and Francisco Goya. The collection also includes Italian, Flemish, French, British and German paintings, as well as neoclassical sculptures.
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor, a square that impresses with its elegance, is one of the most representative places in Madrid, here you can meet a multitude of musical, sports, folk, cultural activities, and if you have planned a holiday during the Christmas holidays, here you can find a real winter fair, where you can buy various souvenirs specific to Spain. Plaza Mayor, was built in the 16th century, during the reign of Philip III, being a center of commerce and a meeting place for the personalities of the time in making the most important decisions such as the proclamation of a new king or the canonization of saints. Also, the market served as a place for famous bullfights, various theatrical performances or knightly tours.
Temple of Debod
La Montana Park is home to one of the most surprising monuments – the Temple of Debod – an ancient Egyptian temple, which is actually a gift from the Egyptians to the Spanish people as a thank you for their support during the floods of the 1960s. The temple was brought from Egypt in 1968 and was built for King Adikhalamani in the 2nd century BC, you will be able to notice that it includes several sanctuaries, a spacious hall, as well as a terrace on the upper level. The interior hides the best preserved ancient decorations of rare importance.
Warner Bros park
Warner Park is also known as Warner Bros,located approximately 30 km from Madrid, it covers over 70 hectares divided into five major areas: Hollywood Boulevard, Warner Bros Studios, DC Superheroes World, Old West Territory and Cartoon Village.
Parque Warner is one of the leading and most modern attraction parks in Europe. In these areas there are 34 attractions, 10 shops and 28 different bars and restaurants. Warner Park also offers Warner Beach, a second gate water park adjacent to Warner Park which opened in June 2014 in order to expand the catchment area of the park. Warner Beach is located on approximately 3.9 hectares of land and is open from mid-June to early September. Warner Beach contains two wave pools (including one especially for children), a lazy river and a kids’ area with a special area for toddlers. Warner Beach is the first Warner Brothers-themed water park. It opened its gates on April 6, 2002, always surprising its visitors with new experiences; an ideal place to spend a day here, both for the little ones or, why not, for adults.
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
The Santiago Bernabéu is the home stadium of the Real Madrid football team, and its facilities –including the dressing rooms, trophy room and the dignitaries box– are open to visitors.
The stadium opened in 1947 under the name Nuevo Estadio Chamartín. Its current name is in honour of the man who was president of the club for 35 years, Santiago Bernabéu. After various remodelling projects, it is today classified as an elite stadium, and holds the UEFA’s highest distinction of five stars. This is the second largest football stadium in Spain, with a capacity of around 80,000 spectators.The visit to the stadium includes access to Real Madrid‘s well-stocked trophy room, the presidential box and a chance to walk around the technical area and see the dressing rooms of the visiting team. The stadium also has various restaurants, a large club shop and a shopping area.
Places you should see
- Museo Nacional del Prado – https://goo.gl/maps/1Ncv55svRPiB6GLt7
- Plaza Mayor – https://goo.gl/maps/sexP7bLbDPBMtKqn6
- Warner Bros park – https://g.page/parque-warner-madrid-madrid?share
- Temple of Debod – https://goo.gl/maps/x8dsHCwidkkJeaqv8
- Estadio Santiago Bernabéu – https://g.page/EstadioRealMadrid?share
