Madrid Vacations

1. The Royal Palace of Madrid, built during the 18th Century on a site occupied by the Moors in the 9th, is the official residence of the Spanish royal family, reserved today mainly for lavish state functions. Europe’s largest royal palace is a sprawling Italianate Baroque complex occupying over 3,400 rooms though many more were originally planned. You can tour 50 of these taking in stunning frescoes and artworks by the likes of Goya, Velazquez and Caravaggio.

2. The Prado Museum is one of the world’s great art museums. It contains perhaps the definitive collection of Spanish art from the 11th to 18th centuries alongside masterpieces by universally acclaimed artists including El Greco, Velazquez, Goya, Bosch, Titian, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. Although mostly dedicated to paintings and sculptures today the collection encompasses drawings, engravings, coins, medals, clothing and decorative art.

3. The National Museum Art Centre Queen Sofia is the leading repository of contemporary Spanish art from the 20th Century to the present day. Inside you’ll find works by Dali, Miro and Juan Gris, alongside Picasso’s masterpiece Guernica. The permanent collection has been completely reorganised in recent years to include hundreds of new works amid a collection of over 20,000 pieces.

4. After a busy day of sightseeing what better way to relax than with a trip to Hammam al Andalus, Madrid’s only Arab baths? In this faithful recreation of traditional, ancient Andalusian Arab baths – in terms of both decor and atmosphere – you can submit yourself to a range of rejuvenating experiences in a 90-minute session spread across baths with three different climates. There’s also a steam room and a rest room serving tea and your choice of relaxing aroma.

5. El Retiro is a green oasis in the heart of the city comprising 15,000 trees across 125 hectares. It’s the ideal spot to enjoy a stroll, bike ride or picnic, or to hire a paddleboat on the park’s lake. There are several gardens to enjoy including the French-style Parterre and a Rose Garden with 4,000 bushes. Look out too for an array of striking sculptures and monuments, such as the Fallen Angel statue.

• The bustling square of Puerta del Sol, where the gates of the city once stood, is today a key nexus that’s the starting point of all of Spain’s major radial roads. Look out for the famous clock on the government HQ building to which thousands of people gravitate come midnight on New Year’s Eve eating 12 grapes, one for each of the pips that sound. Keep your eyes peeled also for El Oso y el Madrono, a statue of a bear nuzzling a strawberry tree that makes for a popular meeting place among Madrilenos.
• Gran Via is the city’s prime shopping street. At 1,300 metres long it’s home to dozens of retailers including many household brands sitting alongside independent boutiques such as leather goods shop Loewe, and upscale jewellers Grassy, Sanz and Aristocracy. The busiest section houses various major retailers occupying former movie theatres and elegant old arcades rivalling those found in Paris. There’s also the Telefonica building that was once Europe’s tallest skyscraper and today houses the Espacio Fundacion Telefonica, a thriving cultural centre.
• Malasana is a bohemian enclave in central Madrid bordering Gran Via. In the 1980s Malasana found itself at the heart of the Movida Madrilena, a major counter-cultural movement that revolutionised Spanish arts, culture and society in general. It’s also home to Triball, an area dedicated to sustainable business practices. This area has undergone a new lease of life lately with various cultural, fashion and culinary spaces opening.
• El Rastro is a lively shopping area known for its jumble of specialty shops, local bars and historic sights. It’s famed for the bustling flea market held on Sundays and public holidays that hosts around 1,000 merchants selling all manner of items, from artisanal goods, clothing and accessories to kitchenware, trading cards, second-hand albums and magazines, pets and all sorts of bric-a-brac of various vintages. Make time to visit the fascinating Museum of Popular Art and Traditions which chronicles ethnography from across the country.
• Plaza Mayor is another must-see. This enormous esplanade in the city centre dates to 1620 when it was opened by King Philip III, whose statue adorns the square. Down the centuries it’s hosted all types of public events, from bullfights, fiestas and theatrical shows to Inquisition trials and even executions. Today its grand arcades are home to many traditional shops, bars and restaurants. Look out for some of its most renowned buildings, such as Casa de la Carniceri and Casa de la Panaderia with its frescoed facade.

• For an affordable stay in Madrid, H10 Tribeca has been refurbished by designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan who took inspiration from New York City’s industrial Tribeca district. Enjoy sizeable rooms and a generous buffet breakfast. Modern and understated, the Madrid Leonardo Hotel City Center is located in the historic centre and a short stroll from Plaza de Expana and the historic main street of Madrid, Gran Via, where you’ll find some of the best boutiques.. After you’re done exploring, kick back at the hotel’s lobby bar. Petit Palace Plaza Mayor is a hotel right at the entrance of Plaza Mayor housed in a historic building yet offering all modern amenities. Ilunion Alcala Norte is a contemporary hotel conveniently close to the airport and city centre, while sister property Ilunion Suites Madrid is a sleek and chic hotel offering free Wi-Fi, public parking, a bar and a restaurant.
• You’ll find several good hotels with pools in Madrid. Take your pick from the H10 Puerta De Alcala in the popular Salamanca area just 100 yards from El Retiro Park, the Hard Rock Hotel Madrid directly in front of the Reina Sofia Museum offering you in-room yoga and an electric guitar delivered to your room, Claridge, which has a seasonal outdoor pool, and the fashionable Bless Hotel Madrid, which offers a rooftop pool, a bowling alley and a ‘secret’ lounge in an exclusive corner of Madrid.
• There’s an equally fine selection of five-star hotels in Madrid. The Melia Madrid Princesa is a luxury hotel with elegant interiors and views of the Royal Palace, while the Palacio de los Duques Gran Melia is set in a former city palace just a short walk from the Teatro de la Opera, the Royal Palace and the Gran Via. The Hyatt Regency Hesperia Madrid on the exclusive boulevard Paseo de la Castellana is something of a culinary hotspot being home to Michelin-starred restaurant Smoked Room, while equally refined is the Hospes Puerta de Alcala Madrid. This contemporary design hotel offers white marble bathrooms and the pleasures of the Bodyna Spa, pool and hammam. Finally, The Westin Palace Madrid was commissioned by King Alfonso XIII in 1912. Dine on locally sourced market cuisine beneath a stained-glass cupola in La Rotonda Restaurant.

Madrid’s Metro system is clean, easy and affordable with 12 lines extending to the airport and suburbs. For frequent use save money by buying a Tourist Ticket available in one-, two-, three-, four-, five- and seven-day durations. Madrid’s also a very walkable city, several companies offer free walking tours.

Pop into the city’s worst kept culinary secret, the 131-year-old tapas bar Bodega de la Ardosa. It’s famed for its tortilla, and you should also try the "rabo de toro" (oxtail stew).. On Plaza Mayor try anywhere serving churros con chocolate. Besides that, it’s best to stick to drinks here (canas are a bit smaller than half pints of beer) as a sit-down meal will likely be costly for relatively poor quality.