Madrid Vacation & Tourism Guide
photo by Travel Junkie*s
Madrid has stood in the center of the Iberian Peninsula as the capital of Spain since 1562. Its southern and elevated location allows for warm, dry summers and cool winters, making for excellent traveling weather all year round. As a tourist destination, Madrid is filled with fascinating areas to explore. There are the wide, gracefully tree lined major avenues and boulevards, the trendy and cosmopolitan buildings, and in contrast, the old areas that twist and wind with quaint streets and relaxed cafes. Together, these combine to provide many days of discovery of the treasured past and the exciting present of Madrid.
Great Recommendations from Real Travelers
1. Room Mate Alicia
Real Traveler Rating: 4.6 out of 5 based on 46 reviews from 5 sources
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" It is situated right on the corner of Plaza Santa Ana, a lovely plaza bordered by outdoor cafes, which provides the perfect ambiance for Happy Hour." — source Venere
"Very nice hotel, located in Santa Ana aquare, middle of everything." — source Expedia
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1. Plaza Mayor
Huge plaza packed with cafes, ... more
Real Travelers who've been to Plaza Mayor
jayfeldman in Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain said
… Plaza Mayor… continue reading »
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2. Gran Vía
... This is Madrid's busiest and best-known street. Wide sidewalks, impressive buildings and proximity to the center make it a most desirable residential neighborhood. Some of the most historic buildings include Telefónica... more
Real Travelers who've been to Gran Vía
Kaelyn in Madrid said
…...Street called Gran Via which reminded me a lot of Time Square. I arrived around 1pm to my hostel in Madrid. The first… continue reading »
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3. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
... to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza spans more than 700 years of the History of Art and features masterpieces of painting. The visitor itinerary begins on the second floor ... more
Real Travelers who've been to Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Nivariense in Madrid Visión, Café Gijón y Museo Thyssen - Bornemisza said
… visitando el Museo Thyssen Bornemisza, justo el día después que la Baronesa se encadenara ridiculamente a los árboles del Paseo… continue reading »
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4. Palacio Real
... that has passed through history from the Arabs to the Austrians and finally to the Spanish, although the current royal family are not in residence. Features excellent walking tours of sumptuously furnished bedrooms, sitting... more
Real Travelers who've been to Palacio Real
Tyler Kyle in in and out said
… buildings and open squares......highlights:palacio de comerciospalacio realmuseo reina sofia (guernica… continue reading »
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5. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
World famous modern art museum featuring a diverse collection of 20th ... more
Real Travelers who've been to Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
michelle finkelstein in Days 1 and 2: Madrid said
…>triptych by Hieronymus Bosch.Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía –Known as the Moma of Madrid… continue reading »
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6. Kapital
A seven-storied night entertainment extravaganza: a nightclub, ... more
Real Travelers who've been to Kapital
meye0865 in First Excursion said
… a gift for Sarah because we were shopping with the ladies. Friday night we went to a really fancy club called Kapital… continue reading »
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7. Cibeles (La)
... work of art commissioned by King Carlos III to ennoble the city. This time his architects chose to create an image in white stone of the goddess Cibeles driving a carriage drawn by lions. Ventura Rodríguez came up with... more
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8. Real Jardín Botánico
... pleasure to wander around these attractively landscaped gardens. You will see examples of a wide variety of plants from all five continents - 30,000 different species in total. They are all labeled with their Latin and Span... more
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9. Puerta de Alcalá
... Italian architect Francesco Sabatini for Carlos III, this granite neoclassical gateway, comprising five arches topped by angels and cupids, marked the eastern edge of the city up to the mid-1800s. Today it stands in the mid... more
Real Travelers who've been to Puerta de Alcalá
Nivariense in Madrid Visión, Café Gijón y Museo Thyssen - Bornemisza said
… y arquitectónico. A ellos debemos el Palacio Real, el Paseo del Prado o la Puerta de Alcalá… continue reading »
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10. Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
... oldest and best collections of paintings in Spain, the 17th-century examples stand out above all. The most interesting works include two self-portraits of Goya, canvasses by Ribera, Murillo and Velằuez alon... more
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1. Viridiana
Abraham García has been one of the star chefs in Madrid kitchens since the early 1990s and he's had time to develop his own unique style. It's now available here, where he adds exotic touches to traditional Spanish recipes to p... more
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2. Gran Café de Gijón
A regular meeting place for intellectuals and writers since it opened in 1888, this café still attracts a loyal clientele made up of journalists and literary types. Famous poets and novelists like Federico García Lorca, Antonio... more
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3. Vaca Verónica (La)
You're sure to enjoy your meals in this charming little restaurant in the Huertas district. The pleasant environment includes bright summer-yellow walls accented by attractive paintings, candle-lit tables, and cheerfully colore... more
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4. Café de Oriente
It is much more than a café. In fact, this is a restaurant that is good enough to have been awarded a Michelin star for its creative and modern style of cooking. The house specials are cod prepared in a variety of ways and duck... more
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5. Sacha
Similar to many a modern Parisian bistro, with its antique furniture and white linen tablecloths, this restaurant attracts journalists, politicians, and artists above all. The cooking has strong Galician and Catalan influences.... more
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6. Goya Restaurant
The highly acclaimed Goya Restaurant Madrid offers a gourmet ... more
Real Travelers who've been to Goya Restaurant
Vickie in Takin it easy said
…). Next, we went to the Prado, and saw famous paintings by El Greco, Goya, Titian, and Velázquez. The group of us went out to eat… continue reading »
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7. Casa Lucio
With an apparently old-fashioned look, this classic restaurant serves very typical Spanish dishes. Casa Lucio was born in 1974 and still keeps its characteristic atmosphere. You will always find Mr. Lucio around, chatting with... more
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8. Terraza del Casino (La)
The famous Catalan chef, Ferrán Adriá, presides over this stylish and tastefully decorated restaurant on the top floor of Madrid's historic Casino. You will need to dress up smartly to fit in with the well-heeled crowd that fre... more
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9. Jockey
A restaurant with the aristocratic air of a London gentleman's club and a Michelin star to boast about, it offers its own modern versions of traditional recipes using only the best quality raw ingredients available. The house s... more
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10. Al Natural
Although it's not the most sophisticated of Madrid's few vegetarian restaurants, it certainly is one of the best. The quality and freshness of the ingredients used in the kitchen are outstanding. The subtle lighting and the car... more
Top Rated Madrid Trips
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Olay Olay! | Aug 22 10'
"ready to cast my judgment on the city"
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GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAL! Real Madrid! | Jun 28 10'
"From there we took a 5 minute walk and bought ourselves 4 TICKETS to see the REAL MADRID Soccer Stadium!"
With no luggage and 15 hours to spare in Madrid, we did what we thought would be best. We took the #8 Metro Train from the Madrid Airport and... Continue reading »
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Mad Madrid | Aug 21 10'
"to my surprise, it was very good"
<!-- [if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Template>Normal</o:Template> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>... Continue reading »
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Madrid and Toledo | Feb 14 10'
"Has anyone seen Robbie??"
After breaky we headed off on the bus for our Madrid city tour. It is very cold this morning – a chilly 1 degree when we leave. The city here... Continue reading »
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Mild Madrid | Jul 03 10'
"she was not impressed and went downstairs and dobbed on us"
<!-- @page { margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> Upon arriving in Madrid at 6am we were having Barcelona withdrawals. Our lov... Continue reading »
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