Tours, Things To Do & Day Trips

While perhaps not as well known for it as London or New York, Madrid has dozens of excellent places to shop. Whether you’re looking for a valuable antique or just a simple gift for someone back home, Madrid has much to offer. You may be looking for exclusive shops – of which there are many, [...]

The Plaza Mayor remains one of Madrid’s chief tourist attractions. Though called by many names over the centuries and subject to several fires, it retains its allure. The reasons are not hard to find. While not an architectural work of art, the plaza is one of the best places in Madrid to relax and watch [...]

Spanish for ‘Gate of the Sun’, Puerta del Sol is one of Madrid’s most popular tourist destinations. At its center lies the paving slab just outside the Casa de Correos that marks the spot from which radiates the six main highways traversing Spain. It is a good point from which to begin to explore this [...]

Going to a library isn’t most tourists idea of a good time. But if you visit Madrid and don’t stop in to the Biblioteca Nacional for at least an hour you’ll be missing out on one of the city’s finest attractions.

After having toured around the major museums and the Royal Palace, one would think we are done with art in Madrid, not so, Madrid, Spain, is considered the city of art and life, and . There is still more art to see: some interesting buildings and ohter minor art venues to visit.

Second only to Versailles in size and splendor, the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) in Madrid is an architectural marvel and a treasure trove. Nearly three thousand rooms, with 240 balconies and over forty staircases, this magnificent work is one of Madrid’s major tourist attractions.

While the Retiro Park, or Parque del Buen Retiro as is named, at about 300 acres is much smaller than the 840 acres of New York’s Central Park it is nonetheless magnificent. Filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events, it is rightfully one of Madrid’s premier [...]

Located at Calle Santa Isabel 52, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia is just the ticket for fans of Picasso, Miro, Solana and other notable Spanish artists.

The name may be a challenge for English speakers, but Madrid’s newest art museum is very easy to love for individuals of any nationality. Drawn from the possessions collected over generations of a wealthy family, the contents form one of the greatest gatherings of paintings in the world.

One of the most visited tourist spots in Madrid, the Prado Museum is home to over 7,000 paintings. Though the emphasis is heavily on the three most famous Spanish masters – Goya, Velázquez and El Greco – there are major and minor masterpieces from dozens of other artists.

Madrid has a long and complex history. Center of power of a monarchy that for centuries ruled half the world, it is now one of the major tourist spots of Europe. Once ground zero of the Spanish Inquisition it is now best known for its zestful nightclubs, outstanding shopping centers and life-celebrating art.