Overview
Set on a plateau in the centre of the country, Madrid became the capital in the sixteenth century and grew into an elegant city of wide avenues, formal squares and green parks. It has fewer single landmarks than some Spanish cities and makes up for it with its art, its street life and a nightlife that runs until dawn. Hot in summer and crisp in winter, it is a city for museums by day and tapas bars and plazas by night.
Highlights
The Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen form the golden triangle of art, holding Velázquez, Goya and Picasso’s Guernica. The Royal Palace, the arcaded Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol anchor the old centre, and the Retiro park gives green space beside them. Evenings belong to the tapas bars and terraces, and the football of the Bernabéu draws its own crowds.