Attractions

A visit to Madrid's many art galleries is an important part of any trip to the city, and the famous Prado must be top of the list. The Prado is situated on Madrid's 'Museum Mile', and is home to numerous post Renaissance Spanish and European works of art. The collection includes works by El Greco, Velazquez and Goya, as well as those by Durer, Caravaggio, Rubens, Botticelli, and Bosch. In fact the gallery is more or less a who's who of the great painters - one of the finest art collections in the world. The gallery is free to visit Tuesdays to Saturdays, 6-8pm, but costs eight Euros at other times.

The Reina Sofia National Museum and Art Centre on Santa Isabel, is an attraction which must be seen if you are a fan of contemporary art. Here can be found some of Picasso's most important works including 'Guernica'. Bacon, Dali and Miro are also featured.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum of Art is home to a large collection of masterpieces by Goya, Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso and Mondrian, amongst others.

There are other museums of note in Madrid including the National Archaeology Museum which contains a fascinating number of archaeological finds from across Spain. The renowned 'Dama de Elche', a fertility goddess' statue, resides here, as well as some exceptional Egyptian and Mesopotamian artefacts. Located on Calle Serrano, the museum has free entry after 2.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Zoo Aquarium Madrid makes a good contrast as a day out for those who have spent most of their trip traipsing around museums. There are pandas, lemurs, a dolphin show and a bird show to amuse the family.

For sports fans a trip to Santiago Bernabeu, home to Real Madrid football club, is not to be missed. Real Madrid is the most successful football club in the whole of Europe, and has won the European cup nine times. You may even be lucky enough to get a ticket to see Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona - their longstanding rivals. Otherwise there are guided tours available which take in the field, dressing rooms, and the Real Madrid Museum.

The Casa de la Moneda is the national mint and houses an impressive collection of ancient Greek, Roman and Spanish coins from Byzentine, Visigothic and Islamic times. The Spanish peseta has now been superseded by the Euro and is included in this historical collection. Visitors can also view historical collections of lottery tickets, stamps, prints and etchings.

Teleferico is one of the most horizontal cable cars in the world - starting at the sloping hills of the Rosaleda, the car travels 2 miles and 40 metres high above the Casa de Campo, a huge green space to the west of Madrid's centre. The trip is only a few Euros and affords visitors some fantastic views over the city.

Events

La Transhumancia is a yearly event when the city centre is transformed - all the cars are banished in favour of shepherds driving their sheep through the city.

Madrid hosts a traditional Carnaval in February of each year and has done since the demise of Franco's regime in 1976. Nowadays this medieval festival is a riot of partying and parades, with many events and entertainments held at the Casino and Circuo de Bellas Artes. A long parade along the Paseo de la Castellana starts the Carnaval which finishes on Ash Wednesday with the eccentric 'Burial of the Sardine' show.

The Autumn Festival attracts more than 50 musical, theatrical and dance groups from around the world, to perform at more than 40 venues across the city. The event takes place in November.

The Fiesta de San Isidro takes place in May when San Isidro, the city's patron saint is honoured with an explosion of partying and celebrating in the streets - which goes on for a full 10 days.

Leisure and Recreation

Madrid is a shopper's paradise, with some of the best shops in Europe selling just about everything you can think of. Small, quirky antique shops mix with large department stores, as well as colourful and vibrant markets, so there is a shopping experience here to suit everyone. Salamanca is Madrid's up market 'golden mile', and definitely a place to exercise your credit card to the max. Chueca is packed with designer stores, while Rastro attracts tourists and locals alike for its antiques, jewellery, and second hand stalls.

The nightlife in Madrid is legendary with bars, theatres, cinemas and nightclubs which stay open until the early hours. Early risers will not appreciate the late hours which are the norm - most people only head to the nightclubs at around 1am.

Weather

Madrid has a continental climate, which is mostly dry but can be a little extreme. There is always an abundance of sunshine in the city, with long hot summers, but winter can be cold with many frosty nights and the odd snow fall. Spring and autumn are generally mild, but there is a high likelihood of rain. There is less rainfall during the summer and winter.

Getting There and Around

Madrid Barajas International Airport is 8 miles from the centre, and is linked to the city by the Metro. Over 100 airlines serve the airport, with more than 52 million passengers passing through each year.

Madrid is well connected to other Spanish cities via an efficient rail network, and is on the route of several international railway networks.

Once in Madrid the city is fairly easy to get around, with an extensive bus network and a modern, efficient metro system. The metro operates from six in the morning to 1.30am the next day, and the buses fill in the gap of a few hours with night buses, which run right through the night. It is not recommended to drive in Madrid, and visitors with cars can leave them at parking garages during their stay.

Many people zip in and out of traffic on mopeds, but cycling is not highly recommended as a way of getting around, since there are few cycle routes, and drivers are not known for looking out for bicyclists. Taxis are quite a cost-effective option in Madrid and their services are far cheaper than many of their other European counterparts.

Top Free 6 Things to Do

Campo del Moro is a park which allows visitors an insight into what Madrid was like in its earliest days - from the 'Moor's Field' which in 1110 an army laid siege to the city. The gardens which can be seen today were first established in the 18^th Century, and were created to mimic rather than rival the palace at Versailles. The gardens are open from 8am until 6pm and are located at the Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto.

The Convento de las Trinitarias is an area in which many of Spain's greatest writers lived and worked during the country's Golden Age in the 16th and 17^th Centuries. Miguel de Cervantes was buried in the Convvento de las Trinitarias. Cervante's House, at Calle de Cervantes is no more, but the Casa de Lope de Vega is the former home of Lope de Vega who resided here between 1562 and 1635, and the house is now a museum.

The Congreso de Los Diputados is Spain's lower House of Parliament. A Renaissance building, it was given a revamp in 1850 to add a pair of intimidating lions who were constructed out of smelted cannons, used in the Spanish Africo war of the mid 19^th Century. In order to gain admittance to this attraction you need to bring your passport with you.

The Plaza de la Villa is a baroque square, which has been the seat of Madrid's city government since medieval times. The 15^th Century town hall survives, as well as the 16^th Century Tapestries Hall, which is beautifully decorated with 15^th Century Flemish tapestries.

Iglesia de San Gines is one of the oldest churches in Madrid, having been in existence in one shape or another since the 14^th Century. Most of what is seen today dates from the 16^th Century, and the church is also home to some notable paintings including 'Expulsion of the Moneychangers from the Temple' by El Greco, dated 1614. The church is open to the public just one day a week, Saturday.

The Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida has been recently restored, and is a building which is also known as the Panteon de Goya - and is where Goya's paintings can be seen in their original setting. The painter is buried here, too, right in front of the altar.

Money and Costs

The unit of currency in Madrid is, as it is in the rest of Spain, the Euro. Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500, although smaller shops and restaurants will not accept over 100 euro notes. There are plenty of ATMs in Madrid's centre, which will accept all the major credit cards, including Mastercard, VISA and American Express - although there may be a charge for withdrawing money.

Madrid is not as cheap as it used to be, but a meal out can still be a relatively inexpensive event with a three course meal at a midrange restaurant costing little more than 30 Euros, and transport costs are cheap.