small & big wonders of Madrid

Many: plenty of art museums to suit all, a great general architecture... but also the little lanes, the smells that come out from the bakeries and the museo del jamon...

Quick Tips:

everything is different timed in Madrid. Nearly everything closes till about 4 or 5 PM in the afternoon (yes, so fill your free-time with art) - dinner is at around 10 PM (so don't forget to have your afternoon tapas or snacks)... people crowd the city till very late, making u wonder if they ever sleep or work

Best Way To Get Around:

walking is definitely the best way to enjoy Madrid. The metro works really well for longer distances.

A two star hotel - simple but well-maintained - and especially in the heart of Madrid. it''s virtually a stone-throw to the Prado museum. All rooms have TV and telephone. What i liked especially was the fact that there''s a restaurant and bars on the primises: very handy when tired after a long day of exploring and visiting.

We went because everyone seems to go there and recommend it. I'm not quite sure if the reason is because it's meant to be the oldest restaurant in the world (1725) or because of the delicious food. We tasted the house speciality - the cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) - and it was delicious. Some other dishes that caught our fancy, but which we did not eat, were the basque-style baby eeels, and the squids cooked in their own ink

A square with life and with a soul. It's the place where everyone is drawn to... because it's in the heart of madrid, because its frescos are of suc beauty that one can't keep away from them, because it's large and everyone meets there... and also because of the occasional markets. When I was there there was a nice market of old books and prints - it's held weekly, year round, on a specific day (friday? saturday?). Plaza Mayor is the place to stop and watch life go by - after all it takes a long time to soak in such beauty - and there's plenty of cafés there. Not cheap, but the price is worth it.

Who said that great buildings have to be old? Untrue! This newly-built cathedral - dedicated to the Patroness of the city - was completed in 1993. Its beauty lays in the simplicity of its decor and interior - very sober - and yet still charming. It's the perfect add-on to a day spent visiting the nearby Royal palace

It's impressive - big - scenic. It's also one of Europe's best Royal Palaces with the added advantage that it can be visited. It was built for Felipe V, the first Bourbon King, to replace the burned Alcazar. Madrilenos learned their history well: the present palace was made to be completely inflammable.
The palace offers 4 main attractions:
1- the changing of the Guard (with music) - which happens on the outside square. it's nothing like the changing of the Guard in London where visitors are fenced off and the guards fenced in like in a cage. This happens without there being any separation from the guards and the visitors, and fortunately, it is of lower-key than its british counterpart
2- the interior of the palace. The rooms are huge - the furnishing lives up to the size of the rooms - and especially there are wonderful tapestries (of famous masters) hanging from the walls. There's also precious frescos... and then again sculptures, china, and everything one can imagine
3- the gardens: really well-kept - even in winter - when the flowers are not in bloom. Friends say that in the spring they themselves become a major attraction.
4- the views. From the garden one has perfect views over the surrounding countryside or other parts of the city

Yes, it's possible to visit Madrid with your nose up in the air... not for great buildings or the usual sights... but for the charming little details. Some street names are very quaintly made of tiles: they depict a past or historical street scene and then have the name added. They are often forgotten small work of popular art. For me, they are the soul of the city.