City break Madrid
Madrid is a vibrant city with a delicious gastronomy, a great nightlife and interesting historical buildings and places of interest. Visit the Prado Museum and see the masterpieces from the collection. Stroll through the streets, enjoy a drink or traditional tapas and experience Madrid at its best. Especially in August there is a lot to do in Madrid with various events and festivals. With these authentic things to do in Madrid, you'll enjoy the city to the fullest!
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7 tips for your city break Madrid
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Walk past Plaza Major to La Latina, one of the oldest parts of the Spanish capital with beautiful architecture, tapas bars and go to the famous flea market El Rastro.
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The most popular park in the city (El Retiro) is located in the stately and quiet Retiro neighbourhood (just behind the Prado Museum). Here you can not only walk, but also see art in the Palacio de Cristal, enjoy a rowboat ride, attend a flamenco performance or enjoy the street musicians on the promenade
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In Madrid, the gigantic Prado Museum is a place to see the old masters, such as Francisco Goya and El Greco
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Or do you choose the modern art of Dali and Picasso in the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia or the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza?
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If you like opera or the zarzuela, a kind of Spanish operetta, visit Teatro Real. This is one of the most modern opera houses in Europe. Or visit a flamenco performance.
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Football is part of Spanish culture. The fountain on the Plaza de Cibeles is seen as a symbol of the city of Madrid. When Real Madrid has something to celebrate, they don't do it in the famous Bernabéu Stadium, but around this fountain, where the statue of Cybele is wrapped in a flag of the football club. By the way, the capital has another big football club, Atlético Madrid.
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In the middle of Madrid is Plaza Puerta del Sol, the central point and busiest square in the city. This square is an excellent starting point for a relaxing walk along some of the sights of Madrid. It is also the venue for Spain's biggest New Year's celebration and the gathering of Protestants and partygoers. In this area you can shop well during the day and is bustling all night with numerous restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Information about Madrid
The capital of Spain sometimes stands in the shadow of Barcelona, but that is completely unjustified. Madrid is a great city with beautiful buildings, grand squares, beautiful fountains and fascinating museums. Madrid was originally a military settlement of the Moors. The place had an abundance of water and was therefore known in Arabic as 'Mayrit', or 'giver of life'.
Madrid originated much later than other major Spanish cities, such as Barcelona, Seville and Valencia. It was not until the Moors conquered Spain in the 9th century that the area where Madrid is now located was built. The then emir had a palace built here on the spot where the Royal Palace (Palacio Real) now stands. The citadel al-Mudaina (water source) was also built at that time. The name Madrid comes from this place.
