Madrid

As the capital of the Spanish Empire, Madrid was once the richest and most powerful city in the world. That kind of past leaves a big impression on a place and in Madrid it is easy to see. For palaces, museums and concerts it is up there with the best in the world.

Even if the royal family has largely abandoned the palace, Madrid remains a royal city with refined tastes. The Royal Theatre is Spain's most important classical music venue, hosting opera and concert events. And at the Royal Palace (Palacio Real) the overwhelming wealth of the Spanish Empire is at its most evident in three thousand rooms bedecked with priceless paintings from down the ages.

If you're looking for culture, you've definitely come to the right place. The museums of the "golden triangle" alone, namely the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza, feature a stunning array of paintings ranging from Old Masters to modern surrealists all housed in some of Spain's most magnificent buildings. And the rest of the city is just as rich in cultural icons and architecture.

But Madrid is also a city for going out and partying. The area of Malasana is packed with bars and restaurants that stay open until dawn and rival anything Barcelona has to offer. There is also a growing interest in flamenco among Madrid's young population, which has led to shows and clubs springing up across the city.

Add to that the most successful football team in Europe (Real (Royal) Madrid - what else would they be called?) and it is clear that Madrid today is every bit as confident as it was in its imperial heyday.

Once at the heart of a great empire Madrid now displays all the rich trappings of its history with pride. It is impossible to condense so much into just a few attractions but these are the unmissables in a city that has so much to offer.

The Madrid Card offers free entry to more than 40 museums, and discounts in many shops and restaurants, as well as free public transport. The card is available from tourist offices. Cost:
24 hours: EUR42
48 hours: EUR55
72 hours: EUR68

THE PRADO

Art lovers will adore the Prado (Museo del Prado), one of Europe's leading galleries and Madrid's top attraction. It has an incredible collection of old masters predominantly from the Italian, Spanish and Dutch schools. Masterpieces by Rubens, Goya and Bosch sit side by side with works by El Greco, Titian and Velázquez.

The museum is set in lovely surroundings - hold on to your free map that you get with your ticket or risk getting hopelessly lost among the 1500 pieces of art that are on display at any one time.

Paseo del Prado. Open: Tue-Sun 09h00-20h00. Admission: EUR6, adults; free, under 18 & over 65. Tel: +34 913-302-800.

The Arts Walk Pass costs EUR14.40 and covers admission to the Prado, the Thyssen Bornemisza Foundation and the Reina Sofía.

PLAZA MAYOR

For centuries Madrid's plazas have been hubs of city life, the sites of markets, celebrations and gatherings for entire communities. Plaza Mayor is the city's largest urban square and was once the focus for the regional market, when cattle would even be herded down the old city's narrow streets to the very heart of Madrid.

Nowadays the atmosphere is not quite as vibrant as it was in the square's hey-day, although the mercantile spirit remains in the stalls selling tourist trinkets and refreshments to the passers-by and loafers who spend their time people-watching in the plaza. One of the seemingly few places in Madrid that doesn't have traffic whizzing through it or is stiflingly crowded, Plaza Mayor is surprisingly rather quiet - and the perfect place to stop for a rest in between the frankly exhausting round of palaces and museums.

Many of the buildings that surround the square are worthy of note for their grandiose architecture and the square is famous for its murals. It's well worth picking up a guide book to flick through as you enjoy a coffee here, which will fill you in on the square's colourful history as the site of bullfights and execution (including the burning of heretics during the Inquisition). The square still hosts the occasional market on weekends when it comes to life from its normally sleepy day-to-day pace.

THE ROYAL PALACE

The largest royal palace in Europe, the Palacio Real is hard to miss. It is still actually owned by Spain's Royal family, although they don't use it as a residence - the palace's only official function today being the largest of state occasions. The reputation of the complex's size somewhat diminishes the effect of first seeing it, but if you stop to consider the sheer enormity of the structure it is awe-inspiring.

The Plaza de Ameria is the most common approach but probably doesn't show the palace off to best advantage. For this head to the park and square to the east of the building. Here the façade of the palace towers above the tree-lined avenues and you get a much better impression of the fine attention to detail that has gone into every facet of the building.

Of the 3,000 rooms of the interior thankfully only 50 or so are open to the public - otherwise you'd be here all day. Of those that you can visit the highlight is undoubtedly the Throne Room - although throughout all the state rooms you can see fabulous works of statuary and some stunning frescoes. The royal apartments are an interesting insight into the life of a Spanish King - modest they are not. Additional attractions include the Royal Armouries, which features the full armour of Charles II.

Calle Bailén. Open: Mon-Sat 09h30-17h00, Sun 09h00-14h00 (Oct-Mar); Mon-Sat 09h00-18h00, Sun 09h00-15h00 (Apr-Sep). Admission: EUR10, adults; EUR3.50, children. Tel: +34 914-548-800

THE REINA SOFIA

With its perspex lift towers visited on a classical 18th-century building (the work of Sabatini, the same architect who built the Palacio Real) the Reina Sofia is very much a piece of controversial contemporary art in itself. The works it houses are together regarded as one of the finest collections of Modern Art found anywhere in the world. Dali, Miró and Francis Bacon are just some of the famous names exhibited here, but pride of place is reserved for the most famous name in modern art - Picasso.

Picasso's controversial masterpiece Guernica is undoubtedly the centrepiece of the entire collection, and it shouldn't be missed on any visit to the city. Its title is taken from the town of Guernica, bombed by the luftwaffe in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, many believe as a training exercise in civilian subjugation, sanctioned by Spain's own nationalist government. As you might expect, the depth of feeling carried in the painting is huge. Measuring nearly 30 square metres the canvas is stunning in scale as well as meaning - and it is today considered a cornerstone of the entire Modern Art movement.

Santa Isabel 52. Open: Mon & Wed-Sat 10h00-21h00; Sun 10h00-14h30. Admission: EUR6, adults; free under 18. The Arts Walk Pass costs EUR14.40 and covers admission to the Prado, the Thyssen Bornemisza Foundation and the Reina Sofía. Tel: +34 917-741-000.

THYSSEN BORNEMISZA MUSEUM

Formerly a private collection, the Thyssen-Bornemisza is the third part of Madrid's "Golden Triangle" with the Prado and the Reina Sofia. The gallery features an amazing range of European art, with a selection of works from almost every movement imaginable since the Middle Ages. Old Masters such as Canaletto and Duerer vie for attention alongside Manet, Degas and other Impressionists. The Van Goghs are the main draw for many visitors, though there is a solid collection of more contemporary works by such luminaries as Klee, Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud.

Paseo del Prado 8. Open: Tue-Sun 10h00-19h00. Admission: EUR6, adults; supplementary fees payable for temporary exhibits. The Arts Walk Pass costs EUR14.40 and covers admission to the Prado, the Thyssen Bornemisza Foundation and the Reina Sofía. Tel: +34 913-690-151.

SANTIAGO DE BERNABEU

The Bernabeu Stadium is one of the world's greatest sporting venues. The home of Real Madrid, Europe's most successful and probably richest football club (the "Real" in their name isn't all for show) it is a remarkable piece of architecture, as admirable in its own way as the Royal Palace or any other of Madrid's most famous structures.

Seating 80,000 people over four dizzyingly high and steep tiers, the ground is more enclosed than that of its great rivals Barcelona. A tour takes in the entirety of the stadium, from the dressing rooms, through the tunnel where the players run out on to the hallowed turf of the pitch, to the presidential box where the captains of Real have lifted trophy after trophy to the thunderous approval of the packed stadium. Real's trophy room is packed with the successes of decades - the team has lifted the European trophy more than any other on the continent. The tour is a real treat for football fans.

EL RETIRO

Entrance for the tour is via Gate 20. Avda Santagio Bernabeu, Concha Espina 1. Open: daily, except days following home matches 10h00-19h00 (times may vary on match days depending on kick off time). Admission: EUR15, adults; EUR10, children under the age of 14. Tel: +34 902-311-709.

El Retiro literally translates to "the retreat", and this park measuring several hundred acres is certainly a place you could get lost in, and forget about the city that surrounds it. The park's extensive gardens, stunning buildings, relaxing lakes and incredible variety of ornamental trees are a welcome relief from the city's frenetic pace.

There are a number of activities that you can indulge yourself in. Hire a boat on the lake, or cycle, rollerblade or jog around the many miles of paths and walkways. Children will be happy too with free entertainment on offer which includes mime artists, musicians and street-style performers. Henna tattooists, fortune readers and the like give the park a bohemian air on weekends. There are free activities for the real youngsters. For more cultural distractions, the Palacio de Cristal (the unmissable Crystal Palace by the lake) and Palacio de Velázquez often house exhibitions. You should also look out for the unusual statue to Lucifer, the Fallen Angel by Bellver.

BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Real Jardín Botánico (Royal Botanical Garden) has an interesting collection of unusual and exotic plants which Charles III ordered gathered from the corners of the extensive Spanish Empire. The result is a rather chaotic but colourful collection of plantlife from all over the world. It's easy to while away several hours in the summer wandering around the gardens, taking in all the various scents and hues of the flowers on display. Plaza de Murillo 2. Open: daily 10h00-18h00 (Oct-Mar); 10h00-21h00 (Apr-Sep). Admission: EUR2, adults; EUR1, children. Tel: +34 914-203-017.

Not far from the Real Jardín Botánico, a rather less conventional garden has been created in the middle of Atocha railway station. Housed in a converted station building and taking up a large area of what was once a platform, the large glasshouse makes an unusual and peaceful waiting room where you can relax amid the foliage while waiting for your train. Next to the garden is a moving memorial to the victims of the 2004 Madrid terrorist attack.

BASCILICA DE SAN FRANCISCO EL GRANDE

Although Madrid's cathedral is a grand enough structure, it is rather over-shadowed by the San Francisco el Grande, one of several stunning churches and basilicas scattered around the city. It was built in the mid-18th century by Carlos III on the site that was once a Franciscan monastery, said to have been established by St Francis himself 500 years before construction of the basilica begun.

The chapels of the church are famed for their artistic works and frescoes, including sculptures by Bellver and a Goya masterpiece - depicting St Bernardino of Siena. Apart from these main works, and the gaggle of tourists that permanently surround them, you'll find plenty else to admire in the fine stained-glass windows and neo-classical details of the building. The main dome is larger than that of St Paul's in London - which is often mistakenly thought of as the second-largest dome in the world (it is only the second-largest cathedral dome).

Plaza de San Francisco. Open: Tue-Fri 11h00-12h30 and 16h00-19h00 (to tourists). Open for prayer at other times. Admission: EUR3, adults; EUR2, children. Tel: +34 913-653-800.

STRAWBERRY TRAIN

An old-fashioned steam train, the Strawberry Train runs from Madrid to the fruit-growing region of Aranjuez. While on the train strawberries are dished out by people in period costume. Upon arrival passengers can visit the palace and stunning gardens at Aranjuez before returning to the city.

The train operates on weekends and holidays between May and September, departing from Atocha station at 10h00 and returning late afternoon. Tickets cost EUR25 and include return trip and entrance to palace and gardens. They are available in advance from stations and tourist information offices. There are of course various other train lines from Madrid into the surrounding countryside and places of historic interest - the tourist office produces a map of the most interesting routes.

SHOPPING

Europe's fourth largest capital, Madrid is up there with London, Paris and Milan as a shopping destination, and you'll find major European chains on its streets alongside international designers and specialist stores. Often more interesting for tourists is to search out the smaller boutiques that are distinctively Spanish.

Best Areas

Two of the best shopping areas for clothes in the city are Salamanca which has the most expensive boutiques, and Chueca which offers cutting-edge fashion stores. Madrid has a fashion sense to rival Milan and Paris and you won't be disappointed by the range of international designer wear on offer in the city centre.

Most shoppers will end up between Sol and Gran Via along the Calle Preciados. This has long been the traditional centre for shopping in the city. There is a good range of national chain stores here and you should be able to get anything you want including souvenirs - but don't let that put you off exploring the city for more interesting options.

Calle Fuencarral, and in particular the covered Fuencarral Market, is one of the trendiest areas with some of the most cutting edge fashion you'll find in Spain along with accessories, record shops and cafés. You can get to it from metro Tribunal, Bilbao or Gran Via.

El Corte Ingles at Sol is the most convenient place to shop in the entire city for all manner of goods - there isn't much you can't buy at this massive central department store - from high fashion to basic foodstuffs. The supermarket in the basement is particularly good for picnic supplies and specialist Spanish delicacies to take home.

Out of the city centre you will find large shopping centres and mall complexes. Las Rozas Outlet Village offers modern outlet store shopping just 45 minutes north-west of the city, on the A6 motorway. With 40 stores including some of the best highstreet names in the country and discounts of up to 60% available it is a popular excursion for hard-core shoppers.

Markets

The most famous shopping option in Madrid is the Rastro. This has been a popular market for centuries and continues to draw Madrileños and tourists alike. Although now most famous for its antiques stalls you can also buy all manner of secondhand goods, new clothes, jewellery and slightly unreliable electrical goods. The market is a social event too, with plenty of people taking the opportunity to stroll rather than shop. The Rastro is held every Sunday from 09h00 until mid-afternoon.

GETTING ABOUT

Madrid International Airport (Barajas)

Madrid Barajas airport is approximately 13km from the city centre. Tel: +34 902-404-704.

Metro

Metro Line 8 will take you from the airport to Nuevos Ministerios (the financial district). A one-way journey will cost EUR2 with trains running every five minutes. Tickets are only available from metro station.

Buses

Catch bus No.200 from Terminals 1, 2 and 3 to Avenida America, which normally takes around 20-30 minutes depending on the traffic. If you land at Terminal 4 you will need to take bus No.204 to Avenida America. A single ticket costs EUR1 with buses running every 10 minutes between 05h20 and 23h30.

Taxis

Outside these hours a taxi is the only option for travelling between the airport and the city. Be wary of drivers who take advantage of tourists by choosing the more scenic routes rather than the quickest. The cost of a cab into the city centre should be no more than EUR25-30.

Buses

Buses cost EUR1 for a single journey. Travelcards for ten journeys cost EUR7 and can also be used on metros. Tickets are available throughout the city in kiosks and tobacconists, at metro stations or on the bus when you board. Buses are a lot more complicated to use than the relatively straightforward metro network and you might need to pick up a bus map to help you. It's worth bearing in mind that bus journeys during rush hour can be particularly slow. To leave the city by bus for national destinations you need the Southern Bus Station at Metro: Mendez Alvaro, or the Northern Bus Station at Metro: Avenida de America. Note that passengers are not allowed to take large pieces of luggage onto the buses during rush hour.

Metro

The metro is generally the quickest way of getting around the city. A single journey costs EUR1 with a ten-trip travelcard costing EUR7. Tickets can be bought from offices or vending machines in stations and throughout the city in kiosks and tobacconists. There are currently 12 colour-coded lines and journeys are fairly easy to plan using the simple tube maps on display everywhere. Trains run between 06h00-02h00.

Alternatively you can purchase the Madrid Card, which gives you free use of public transport, as well as free entry to a number of museums. It costs: 1 day: EUR42; 2 days: EUR55; 3 days: EUR68, and is available from tourist offices.

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Madrid

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