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Madrid is probably best known for its
museums, jam-packed full of some of the best paintings in
the world. We agree, it has to be one of the top
destinations for all things artistic. These pages about
Madrid however, concentrate on the other attractions of this
fascinating city.
We do cover the
Prado Museum, probably the
best Museum in Madrid. But thereafter we avoid cultural overload
and we go in search of the real Madrid.
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Madrid can get very hot in summer (see
our Madrid weather page for
more information), so we avoided the high season and visited
in late September. Deliciously warm and dry but not with
over-powering heat. We suggest that you too avoid July and
August and visit Madrid in May to June or September to
October.
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So, how do you get a feel of the
true Madrid? First and most important is to taste
the local food and do this throughout your visit.
Madrid is host to some of the best food on this
planet! Visit our Madrid
food pages for more information.
Retiro
Park is where the Madrilenos (locals from
Madrid) parade themselves and their families. It's
at the heart of Madrid and a stroll around the park
is something not to be missed. There is more here
than you might imagine.
On a Sunday morning visit the
flea market El Ratsro.
Half of Madrid will be there with you! |
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Getting around Madrid is simple, use the
excellent Metro which covers all of central Madrid
and extends into the outlying areas. Buses are a bit
more complicated to work out for a short visit but
the night buses operate when the Metro is closed,
very useful. Click here for our page on how to
get around Madrid.
Having worked out how to travel around Madrid, a
visit to a bull-fight might be of interest? Well not
for us, but if you are interested, ask at your hotel
for details of how to book one up. However, a visit
to the Las Ventas
Museum, outside of central Madrid, is an
absolute eye-opener. This is the museum which
celebrates bull-fighting and all that surrounds it.
it's free, and it's fascinating. Bulls heads,
bloodied clothes and much more is all here. |
Madrid has lots more to see, in fact too much if
all you have is a long weekend. Take a direct bus
trip to the financial area of Madrid (an easy
journey, we promise) and see the amazing Puerta de Europa office blocks on either side of the main road. They
both lean into the centre of the road at an angle of
15 degrees.
Ignore some guide books which favour endless museum
visits over a visit to the
Plaza de Espana.
Granted it's noisy and the architecture is 1950s
style, but that's what some of Madrid is about.
Enjoy the hustle and the bustle of the crossroads,
watch the policemen direct 8 lanes of traffic with
just a loud whistle. This is Madrid at its best and
most true. |
Puerta de Europa ofiices |
OTHER MADRID ATTRACTIONS
/INFORMATION BELOW
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