Madrid - The Sleepless City

Spain's modern bustling capital Madrid, is smack bangsome.
in the middle of the country. The heart of Madrid isThe Calle de Alcalá, runs into the main shopping
open with grand architecture and wide avenues. Beingstreet, the Gran Via. What a sight and what a
relatively compact it is easy to explore and enjoy theshoppers' paradise! The large and famous department
ambiance in all its glory.stores, fashion houses, shoe shops mix with the
When visiting you would be well advised to be awareartisans and craft shops on this long avenue. With its
of the weather in Madrid. Sitting on a high plateausurrounding streets and side alleys combined with
with low mountains to the northwest it does notlong opening hours, Gran Via is the shoppers dream.
enjoy the best of climates. Locally they claim to haveIn Madrid there is nowhere to go but the Grand Via.
three months of bad weather and the other nineLook no further.
months are awful. This can be taken with a pinch ofThe great "Plaza de Toros Monumental de Las
salt, particularly if you are from colder regions but theVentas.", the bullfighting ring, is the largest in Spain.
winters are cold with biting winds while the heat ofRecently, live transmission of bullfighting has been
summer is best avoided. Typically mostwithdrawn from television but "afficianados" (fans)
"Madrileños" head for the coasts or mountains.can enjoy their art from May to October.
Check your Madrid travel guide but spring andAnother great passion of the "Madrileños" is of
autumn are the best times to visit.course their beloved Real Madrid football club and a
Whatever the weather there is always somewherevisit to the gigantic Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is a
to get away from it. With so many fine cafes, barsmecca for many fans. Madrid caters for all tastes and
and restaurants to choose from, catering for allyounger visitors often prefer the Warner Bros-Madrid
tastes and times of day you will have to plan yourTheme Park, the famous Zoo-Aquarium, Faunia
time well. Madrid being cosmopolitan, is not famousTheme Park, and the Wax Museum.
for any particular regional dish but this does notWhile walking Madrid is the best way to see it, a city
detract from the quality of what is on offer and itpass and the open top bus will save your legs for the
certainly adds to the variety. Restaurants in Madridnights out. Should you find yourself too far from your
set a very good standard so visit the side streetshotel and a little weary the metro system is very
and uncover small specialist tapas bars or hiddenuser friendly even for a foreigner.
restaurants offering gastronomic delights.Hotels in Madrid offer the whole range of
The famous Prado Museum, housing Spain's finest artaccommodation as you would expect. From the
works is complemented by the Theluxurious five star hotels to the more modest
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and the "Museo"hostals" or the simple private rooms: everyone's
Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía", Thebudget is catered for. Note that "hostal" in Madrid is
Queen Sophia Museum of Modern Art.in fact a denomination of an hotel. Don't expect
The 18th century Prado built during the reign ofpeace and quiet though except perhaps in the very
Charles III, is considered to be the best neoclassicalearly hours or during siesta if you are lucky! Spain is a
building in Madrid. Its collection of paintings is one ofnoisy country and Madrid never sleeps.
the best in the world, housing the works of theDo not be surprised either that evenings start later
great Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, Murillo, Zurbaran,than in many places and a night out is just that. With
Rafael and Rubens amongst others.that said Madrid is a great city to be out on the
Behind the Prado is the huge expanse of the Parquetown. Flamenco, blues, salsa and jazz compete with
de Retiro; perfect to stroll and relax away from thedisco, rap and techno as music emanates from every
heat and the traffic. This is adjoined to the Royalbar, restaurant, club and street corner. This is a city
Botanical Gardens. Close by, those travelling by trainfull of people enjoying themselves.
to or from the Atocha Station have the addedFlights to Madrid are through Barajas International
pleasure of the indoor botanical gardens to enjoy.Airport which lies 15km to the east of the city.
The Royal Palace, "El Palacio Real", and the wonderfulTransport to the centre of Madrid is by hire car (take
Sabatini Gardens are a must for many visitors, whileA-2 Barcelona route to the M-30 highway) taxi, route
the Plaza de la Cibeles is considered as the heart of89 bus or the metro subway train service which
Madrid. It is a good point from which to orientatetakes you to the very heart of this wonderful city
yourself. Between the two, seek out the Plaza Majorby changing at Mar del Cristal.
with its statue of Felipe III on horseback in theYou may leave Madrid exhausted, wondering when
centre. It is off the Calle Major close to the Puertaand if the "Madrileños" ever sleep but you will
del Sol and though large, it is mysteriously missed bycertainly remember your visit.