What is the best Spanish city excluding Barcelona, for a weekend break?

Question

What is the best Spanish city excluding Barcelona, for a weekend break?

Answer 1

Madrid is great.  Very differnet to Barcelona and full of history and entertainment.

Answer 2

In my opinion one of the nicest cities in Spain is Valencia, it has everything you could wish for, beautiful beach, fantastic shopping, cultural centres, interesting architecture and the people are very friendly.  I don't know if you would fit it all in during one week-end, but if you do go,hope you have a wonderful time like I did with my familly.

P.S. As for the answer from "R" - what planet are these people on - talk about heavy going, good grief !!!!!

Answer 3

madrid is always a great option but if you are looking for something a bit diffrent then you should got to the thomson website and put in all your details and im sure youll get a lot of alternative ideas. plus you'll get a great deal on price!

Answer 4

Salamanca. Everybody say it's great, colourful and with a special mix of modern and ancient architecture. And it isn't as expensive as Madrid.

Answer 5

Madrid is deffinitly a really cool place and has lots of things to do, and has so much history that goes back thousands of years. if your looking for beaches, then I would recommend Malaga which is in the south and is a really cool place. Just be aware of the nude beaches ( unless thats what you want).

Answer 6

I agree with the other answers Madrid is cool

Answer 7

Vitoria, in the north.

It's a very nice town with a lot of green zones and parks, pedestrian zones in the citycenter, and bars and restaurants. Has some interesting museums: cards, modernt art, fine arts, sacred art, gums, archeological, etc The old part of the city is from the medievo aged and has a lot of churches and palaces. The most principal monument is the Old Cathedral, now it's in works but it's possible to visit and it's espectacular!!!

Vitoria is a good town. Good food, wines, people, party, fun, relax...all that you want looking for!

Answer 8

Granada in the South! Everyone who goes falls in love with it...

Answer 9

If you can ask this question,

You know how to search over internet.

Answer 10

Ibiza

go and see the mix of madettaranian and europian culture.

Answer 11

Madrid is the capital of Spain. Madrid is the largest city in Spain, as well as in the province and the autonomous community of the same name. It is located on the river Manzanares in the center of the country, in the historic region of New Castile. Due to its geographical location, wealth and history, Madrid is considered the main financial center of the Iberian Peninsula, along with Lisbon, and the political center of Spain.

As the capital of the Spanish Empire, Madrid has been bestowed with a degree of cultural dominance. The general aspect of Madrid is modern, with boulevards and fashionable shopping areas, but the old quarters have picturesque streets. Its landmarks include the huge Royal Palace of Madrid; a restored 1850 opera house; the Buen Retiro park, opened in 1631; the imposing 19th-century building containing the Spanish National Library (founded 1712), the national archives, and an archaeological museum; and three superb art museums: Prado Museum, which houses one of the finest art collections in the world; the Queen Sofía Museum of modern art; and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.[2]

The population of the city was 3.500 million (December 2005), while the estimated urban area population is 5.500 million. The entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area (urban area and suburbs) is calculated to be 5.843 million. The city spans a total of 607 km² (234 square miles). [3]

Following the restoration of democracy in 1975 and the integration to the European Union, Madrid has experienced an increasing role in European finances, making an important European metropolis. The residents of Madrid are called Madrileños, and the current mayor is Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, of the centre-right Partido Popular.

See Wiktionary for the name of Madrid in various languages other than English and Spanish.

Names of the city & Origin of the current name

There are numerous stories describing the origin of the name. One such story is that Madrid was originally created by Ocno Bianor (son of King Tirenio of Tuscany and Mantua) and was named "Metragirta" or "Mantua Carpetana". Others hold that the original name of the city was "Ursa" ("bear" in Latin), due to the high amount of these animals that were found in the adjacent forests, which, together with the Madrone tree ("madroño" in Spanish), have been the emblem of the city from the Middle Ages. Nevertherless, it is now commonly believed that the origin of the current name of the city comes from the 2nd Century B.C., when the Roman Empire established a settlement on the flanks of the Manzanares river. The name of this first village was "Matrice" (a reference to the river that crossed the settlement). After the invasions of the Sueves, Vandals and Alans during the 5th Century A.C., the Roman Empire could not defend their territories on the Iberian Peninsula and asked the Visigoths to take control of "Matrice". In the 7th Century the Islamic conquest of the Iberian Peninsula saw the name change to "Mayrit", from the Arabic term "Mayra" ("mother", "matrix" referring to the source of life of water in the Manzanares river) and the Iberroman suffix "it" that means "place". After the Reconquista only the Christian name prevailed, that is, the Latin-Visigoth and Mozarabic forms "Matrit", which is still conserved intact in the Madrilenian gentilic.[4]

[edit]

History



An 1888 German map of MadridMain article: History of Madrid

[edit]

Middle Ages

Although the site of modern-day Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times, in Roman age his territory belonged the diocese of Complutum (present Alcalá de Henares). But the first historical data on the city comes from the 9th century, when Mehmed I ordered the construction of a small palace in the same place that is today occupied by the Palacio Real. Around this palace a small citadel, al-Mudaina, was built. Near that palace was the Manzanares, which the Muslims called al-Majrīṭ (Arabic: المجريط, "source of water"). From this came the naming of the site as Majerit, which was later rendered to the modern-day spelling of Madrid). The citadel was conquered in 1085 by Alfonso VI of Castile in his advance towards Toledo. He reconsecrated the mosque as the church of the Virgin of Almudena (almudin, the garrison's granary). In 1329, the Cortes Generales first assembled in the city to advise Ferdinand IV of Castile. Sephardic Jews and Moors continued to live in the city until they were expelled at the end of the 15th century.

After troubles and a large fire, Henry III of Castile (1379-1406) rebuilt the city and established himself safely fortified outside its walls in El Pardo. The grand entry of Ferdinand and Isabella to Madrid heralded the end of strife between Castile and Aragon.

[edit]

Renaissance



Puerta de Alcalá, outside el Parque del Buen Retiro, was the gate used by merchants to enter the city to sell their goods at Sunday market.The kingdoms of Castilla, with its capital at Toledo, and Aragón, with its capital at Saragossa, were welded into modern Spain by Charles I of Spain. Though Charles favored Madrid, it was his son, Philip II (1527-1598) who moved the court to Madrid in 1561. Although he made no official declaration, the seat of the court was the de facto capital. Seville continued to control the Spanish Indies, but Madrid controlled Seville. Aside from a brief period, 1601-1606, when Felipe III installed his court in Valladolid, Madrid's fortunes have closely mirrored those of Spain. During the Siglo de Oro (Golden Century), in the 16th/17th century, Madrid had no resemblance with other European capitals: the population of the city was economically dependent on the business of the court itself.

[edit]

End of Renaissance and Early modern Madrid



The Cibeles fountain, Plaza de CibelesFelipe V decided that a European capital could not stay in such a state, and new palaces (including the Palacio Real de Madrid) were built during his reign. However, it would not be until Carlos III (1716-1788) that Madrid would become a modern city. Carlos III was one of the most popular kings in the history of Madrid, and the saying "the best mayor, the king" became popular during those times. When Carlos IV (1748-1819) became king the people of Madrid revolted. After the Mutiny of Aranjuez, which was led by his own son Fernando VII against him, Carlos IV resigned, but Fernando VII's reign would be short: in May of 1808 Napoleon's troops entered the city. On May 2, 1808 (Spanish: Dos de Mayo) the Madrileños revolted against the French forces, whose brute reaction would have a lasting impact on French rule in Spain and France's image in Europe in general.

After the war of independence (1814) Fernando VII came back to the throne, but after a liberal military revolution, Colonel Riego made the king swear respect to the Constitution. This would start a period where liberal and conservative government alternated, that would end with the enthronement of Isabel II (1830-1904).

The 20th century in Madrid



Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. Cibeles fountain is hidden under a pile of sand to avoid damage from bombs.Isabel II could not calm down the political tension that would lead to yet another revolt, the First Spanish Republic, and the comeback of the monarchs, which eventually led to the Second Spanish Republic and the Spanish Civil War. During this war (1936-1939) Madrid was one of the most affected cities and its streets were battlezones. Madrid was a stronghold of the Republicans from July 1936. Its western suburbs were the scene of an all out battle in November 1936, when the Nationalist forces tried to take the city. Thereafter, the city was besieged for almost three years, until it surrendered in March 1939. It was during the Civil War that Madrid became the first city to be bombed by airplanes specifically targeting civilians. (See Siege of Madrid (1936-39)).

During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, especially after the sixties, the south of Madrid became very industrialized and there were massive migrations from rural environments into the city. Madrid's south-eastern periphery became an extensive slum settlement, which was the base for an active cultural and political frame.



Palacio RealAfter the death of Franco, emerging democratic parties (including those of left-wing and republican ideology) accepted Franco's wishes of being succeeded by Juan Carlos I - in order to secure stability and democracy - which led Spain to its current position as constitutional monarchy.

Befitting from the prosperity it gained in the 1980s, the capital city of Spain has consolidated its position as the leading economic, cultural, industrial, educational, and technological center on the Iberian peninsula.

21st century

Atocha Station turned into an improvised Memorial shrine in the aftermath of the attacks.On 11 March 2004, Madrid was hit by a terrorist attack when terrorists placed a series of bombs on multiple trains during the rush hour, three days before the 14 March 2004 elections. This was the worst massacre in Spain since the end of the civil war in 1939.

Madrid has also expressed its desire to become an Olympic city, and became a candidate for the 2012 games, which were awarded to London after Madrid was eliminated in the third round of the ballot. However, the mayor of the city has already stated that Madrid's Olympic dream did not end at Singapore, as the city will again present itself as a candidate to host the 2016 Olympic games.

Answer 12

My vote is for Madrid but have a look at http://www.spain4uk.co.uk/cities.htm for more information

Answer 13

What do you want? Beach parties summer time?  I would say Malaga or Ibiza.  Ibiza is the spring break capital of europe.  If you want museams and site seeing then Madrid is the answer.  For one weekend I would say Madrid is good.  Ibiza is great for a week, and the same with Malaga, all you can do is go to the beach.  Madrid may not have beaches but it has lots of attractions and shopping.  

Madrid

Answer 14

Valencia was good My lad loved visiting the football ground..Real Madrid were playin the following day. Otherwise try Prague truely beautiful City especially in the winter months its magical!!

Answer 15

Seville or Malaga

Both are smaller in size you will see as much as you need without killing yourself,  both are reasonable and food is exceptional.

Malaga has amazing shopping and beaches as well as a Picasso Museum so great balance.

Seville has amazing Moorish palaces, bullrings and shopping

Perfection in the heat

Answer 16

Sevilla or Bilbao...but Malaga is good also - and if you're flying from the UK, the fare can be as low as a tenner - it's a nice city...but go west and you'll end up in Mediterranean Blackpool...Torremolinos (etc). Good thing about Malaga is that the moronic Brits tend to only pass through the aeropuerto.

Answer 17

forget SPAIN go to PORTUGAL try LISBON .///////////////////////////

Answer 18

MADRID

Answer 19

i hear madrid is pretty nice

Answer 20

canary islands, specially Gran Canaria

Answer 21

Marbells, LA COSTA DEL SOL

Answer 22

Madrid, the capital