Madrid Highlights
See also:Madrid for families
Madrid's culture & nightlife
Shopping in Madrid
Cheap & free Madrid
Setting priorities, saving money, unique attractions… here, at a glance, are our recommendations, plus some tips and tricks even madrileños won't always know:
Madrid's best city walks
Madrid's best churches for art
Only in Madrid
Madrid's best plazas
Spectator sports in Madrid
Madrid's best city walks
Old Madrid
A good introductory walk, starting at city-centre Puerta del Sol, takes you down Calle Mayor, with a detour into the arcaded Plaza Mayor, and over Calle de Bailén, down to the old Arab city wall.
Down the Paseo del Prado
Stroll down the elegant shady central boulevard of the Paseo del Prado, past the fountains, to the city's wonderful Botanical Garden and the semi-tropical garden inside 19th-century Atocha station.
Madrid's Royal Gardens and the river
From El Campo del Moro, the quiet and wooded gardens of the Royal Palace, it is a short walk to the river path running along the banks of the peaceful River Manzanares.
Gran Vía to the Castellana
A night-time stroll from the Plaza de España along the Gran Vía takes you past neon-lit theatres and splendid Belle Epoque facades to a magnificent view of the flood-lit Cibeles fountain.
Top
Madrid's best churches for art
San Francisco el Grande
Goya painted his earliest works in Madrid for this domed church, and they still hang here today (open Oct-May 11am-1pm and 4-7pm; June-Sept 11am-1pm and 5-8pm; closed Mon and Sun, apart from services, admission charge).
Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida
Gaze up at Goya's stunning frescoes covering the inside of this tiny chapel, where the artist is also buried (open Tues-Fri 10am-2pm and 4-8pm, Sat and Sun 10am-2pm).
San Antonio de los Portugueses
The interior of this small, unassuming church in the back streets off the Gran Vía is covered in frescoes by Giordano, Coello and Francesco Ricci. Built in 1607, the church in Corredera Baja de San Pablo was founded by Felipe III as a hospital for Portuguese invalids, and is perhaps Madrid's most beautiful working church.
Top
Only in Madrid
Velázquez and Goya
Madrid has three-quarters of Velázquez's known paintings and a huge number of works by Goya. Their best works are on display at the magnificent, emblematic Prado art gallery.
San Antón
The all-day blessing of the animals at San Anton church on 17th January is one of the city's most authentic fiestas. Every year on this day, citizens take their domestic pets to be blessed outside the church on Calle Hortaleza.
Guernica
Picasso's giant anti-war canvas, painted in 1937 and kept in exile till 1981, now hangs in the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. Painted in 1937 at the height of the Spanish Civil War, Guernica (Gernika) - named after the Basque town ed by the Luftwaffe on behalf of General Franco - was commissioned for the Spanish pavillion of the World's Fair in Paris.
Real Madrid
Arguably the best football team in the world (well, according to their own fans at least) play at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. See Spectator sports for details.
Museo de America
Europe's most important collection of Latin American fine arts and folk art. Stunning audio-visual displays too. Its fascinating collection combines ethnological and art objects of Latin America's native peoples (including rare Precolumbian pieces and contemporary folk art) with paintings from the Spanish colonial period. The museum has a pleasant outdoor café. Open Tues-Sat 10am-3pm, Sun 10am-2.30pm; http://museodeamerica.mcu.es; admission charge.
Bullfighting museum
The Museo Taurino offers a close-up look at Madrid's bullfighting history - satin suits, huge bulls' heads and archives are all on show. Behind Madrid's bullring, the Plaza de Toros includes some surprising items such as a suit worn by the Republic's woman bullfighter Juanita Cruz, who went into exile in Peru when Franco forbade women from fighting as matadors. Open: Nov-Feb Mon-Fri 9.30am-2.30pm; free admission. www.museotaurino
Madrid's Best Plazas
Plaza Mayor
Centrepiece of Habsburg Madrid, this is the city's largest plaza, alive with activities and events and with terraced cafés where you can watch the world go by.
Plaza de Chueca
In the summer, this tiny, fashionable square is a good spot for a daytime or evening drink.
Plaza de Conde Miranda
Quiet and atmospheric, this is one of the most beautiful squares in the old town.
Plaza de Olavide
A round pedestrian plaza where a market once stood and now a good spot for an informal meal at one of the terraced restaurants. Central play area and gardens.
Spectator sports in Madrid
Basketball
Games are held in the Real Madrid Baloncesto installations, north of the Plaza de Castilla, or in the Palacio de Deportes on Avenida Felipe II. Two teams at the top of the Spanish leage are Adecco Estudiantes and Real Madrid.
Bullfighting
These are held at Las Ventas. For information, contact:
Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas
Calle Alcalá, 237 (metro: Ventas)
Tel: 91-356 2200.
Bullfights start at various times, so check local listings. In March, April and October (first week, during the Autumn Festival), they start at 4.30-5pm (Sundays), while from May to August they begin at 7pm. Tickets for the bullfights can be purchased a day in advance of the actual fight, at Las Ventas.
Jai-alai
This is a fast and exciting Basque sport, which can be seen at Frontón Reyzabal, Avda. Moratalaz, 40, Tel: 91-328 3189.
Football
Tickets for Real Madrid matches are on sale daily from 6-9pm at their huge 75,000 capacity stadium in the northerly suburb of Chamartín: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Paseo de la Castellana, 144 (metro: Santiago Bernabéu). Tel: 91-398 4300; www.realmadrid.es
Atletico Madrid match tickets can be obtained daily, from 10am-1.30pm and 5-7.30pm, as well as on match days from 11am to kick-off at their 57,000 capacity stadium in the southerly area of Pirámides beside the River Manzanares: Estadio Vicente Calderon, Paseo de los Melancólicos s/n (metro: Piramides). Tel: 91-366 8237. www.at-madrid.es
At both stadiums you should expect to pay about €30 for a seat with a reasonable view.