What are some of the 'must see' places and things everyone should do on a trip to Madrid, Spain?

Question

What are some of the 'must see' places and things everyone should do on a trip to Madrid, Spain?

Answer 1

Madrid was kinda boring and over-crowded i thought!

Go to Barcelona!!!

Answer 2

As if Barcelona is NOT crowded!

Here's what ya GOT ta do.

El Prado.  It's the second most important museum of Western Art in the WORLD.

Museo Reina Sofía.  Really good Modern (20th century) art.  Guernica is there.  Check and pay attention to the hours, they are different from the norm.

Lots of things that just involve walking around and seeing outdoor monuments and buildings...walk up the Gran Vía to Puerta del Sol, have sweets at La Mallorqueña (really good!), stand on the exact (sort of) center of Spain in front of the Guardia Civil bulding.  Head up to Plaza Mayor, where they used to hold bullfights and autos da fe (during the Inquisition).  

Palacio Real is really neat.  

If you are there on Sunday, you MUST go to the Rastro flea market, just down C/Toledo from the Plaza.  There is also a stamp and coin market AT the Plaza Mayor.  

There are tons of fountains and statues that you ought to try to get to.  

Retiro park.  Everyone should walk through it.

Other than that, it's all about what interests YOU.  TONS of shopping and museums, etc, that you can choose from, but those are the top things.

Also, if you have time, there are great day-trips to use Madrid as your home base for.  Tons of castles...in fact, theres a circuit to drive, in Castilla-León.  Segovia is an absolute treasure!  One of the best castles in the world!  1st Century Roman Aqueduct, still used up until the Civil War.  Toledo is like a museum all around.  Most important sights involve El Greco, but the whole city is one of the best!  ÃƒÂƒÃ‚vila has the most complete curtain wall, in Europe.  (kind of a classic vista.)  Also in the area:  wine country (Rioja), Burgos (Really great cathedral), Quixote country.  Even a couple of smaller towns that are worth a visit.  

Boring?  not really, if you are into people.  You can just sit at a café, visit with the waiters a bit, and people watch almost anywhere.

Answer 3

Sitting in Sol or Sombra at the Bullfights: A bullfight can be one of the most evocative and memorable events in Spain, and the best place by far to see one is at the country's biggest plaza de toros (bullring) at Ventas (on the eastern border of Madrid's Salamanca district close to the M-30 highway). Tickets are either sol (sunny side) or sombra (in the shade); you'll pay more to get out of the sun. Peak time for attending bullfights is during the capital's San Isidro fiestas in May, when 4 consecutive weeks of daily corridas feature some of the biggest names in the bullfighting world.

Seeing the Masterpieces at El Prado: One of the world's premier art museums, on a par with the Louvre, El Prado is home to some 4,000 masterpieces, many of them acquired by Spanish kings. The wealth of Spanish art is staggering -- everything from Goya's Naked Maja to the celebrated Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) by Velázquez (my favorite) and the dark vision of Goya's Disasters of War etchings. El Prado also boasts a number of Botticellis, Titians, and French Impressionists, but don't try to take it all in in 1 day: The museum's overall collection is simply too vast to absorb in a single visit.

Feasting on Tapas in the Tascas: Tapas, those delicious bite-size portions washed down with wine, beer, or sherry, are reason enough to go to Madrid! Original favorites were cured ham or chorizo (spicy sausage). Today you might sample gambas (deep-fried shrimp), boquerones (anchovies marinated in vinegar), albóndigas (meatballs), tortillas (tiny omelets), or calamares (squid). Among the best areas for a tapeo (tapa "crawl") are bustling Plaza de Santa Ana and the labyrinthine Cava Baja.

Lounging in an Outdoor Cafe: In summer Madrileños live it up on café terrazas till the early hours. Prized spots are the wide tree-lined Paseo del Pintor Rosales on the western edge of the Argüelles district, overlooking the Casa del Campo, and the elegant cosmopolitan swathe of the Paseo de la Castellana, Paseo del Prado, and Paseo de Recoletos. In Lavapiés, the colorful Calle Argumosa also offers a fashionable spill of alfresco bars.

Relaxing in a Genuine Literary Cafe: Once upon a time the city had several distinguished old-world cafes where intellectuals, artists, and lesser mortals would gather to enjoy a leisurely chat or stimulating tertulia (social gathering). Today the sole survivors of these legendary 19th-century watering holes are the ornate Gran Café de Gijón (tel. [phone]) and the more austere Café Comercial (tel. [phone]), both graced with traditional columns and high windows with views of the ever-changing scenes outside. Lingering unhurriedly over a coffee in either is a real treat.

Shopping the Rastro: Madrid's teeming flea market represents a tradition that's 500 years old. The place really gets going from around 9am on, with shoulder-to-shoulder stalls stretching down Calle Ribera de Curtidores. Real or fake antiques, secondhand clothing, p**n films, Franco-era furniture, paintings (endless copies of Velázquez), old books, religious relics, and plenty of just plain junk are for sale. These streets also contain some of the finest permanent antiques shops in Madrid. Warning: Keep an eagle eye on your wallet or purse; this is a pickpocket's paradise.

Sunday Strolling in the Retiro: Spread across 140 leafy hectares (350 acres) the statue- and tree-filled Parque de Retiro was originally designed as the gardens of Buen Retiro palace, occupied by Philip IV in the 1630s. In 1767 Charles III opened part of the gardens to the general public. On Sunday mornings before lunch vendors hawk their wares, magicians perform their acts, fortunetellers read tarot cards, and large Disney-style moving models of Tweety Bird and Bugs Bunny delight the kids. In the central lake (presided over by a 1902 monument to Alfonso XII) you can rent a boat and laze away the hours on the glittering waters.

Picnicking in the Casa del Campo: On a hot summer's day enjoy an alfresco repast in the shade of a fragrant pine in the heart of Madrid's largest park and look back at the shimmering city skyline. Afterward go boating on the lake or take the kids to the zoo or Parque de Atracciones. You can get here by teleférico chair lift or by Metro to Lago.

Nursing a Drink at Chicote (tel. [phone]): The 1930s interior at Madrid's most famous bar looks the same as it did during the Spanish Civil War. Shells might have been flying along the Gran Vía, but the international press corps covering the war drank on. Postwar regulars included writers, artists, and film stars like Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner. Today it's one of the smart, sophisticated spots to rendezvous in Madrid.

Experiencing the Movida: Very roughly translated as the "shift," or the "movement," movida characterizes post-Franco life in the capital after Madrileños threw off the yoke of dictatorship and repression, giddily drinking, dancing, and generally having a ball à la Almodóvar. To get the feel of this still inexhaustible phenomena, head for the highly liberated nocturnal (and after-hours) fun zones of Chueca, Huertas, and Malasaña, and sample the big clubs around Calle Arenal like Palacio de Gaviria.

Wandering around the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales: A haven of unexpected peace in the bustling heart of Madrid, barely a stone's throw from the Gran Vía, this charming former medieval palace was converted into a monastery in the 16th century by Philip II's sister Juana. Ornate frescoes, Flemish tapestries, and paintings by the likes of Titian and Zurbarán fill its chapel-lined interior. Only 20 visitors are allowed in at a time, so be prepared to wait.

Exploring the Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial (49 km/30 miles from Madrid): Philip II, who commissioned this monastery in the 1530s, envisioned it as a spiritual fortress against the distractions of the secular world. Today it remains the best living example of religious devotion in Renaissance Spain. Within its huge granite walls -- more awesome than beautiful -- are the tombs of Spanish kings and a priceless repository of ancient books, tapestries, and masterpieces by Goya, Velázquez, and other artistic giants.