Madrid Holiday Information
Madrid, the Spanish captial is a fascinating city and is home to the Spanish parliament and the spanish royal family. There are many interesting sites to visit in Madrid such as El Escorial, Arranjuez and Alcala de Henares all named UNESCO World Heritage Cities.
El Prado is properly the most famous museum in Spain. It contains more than 18.000 paintings, sculptures and other pieces of art. Among the most popular artist in the museum are Velazquez and Goya. Reina Sofia is the second great museum in Madrid. It contains more modern art and has two large sections dedicated to Picasso and Miro.
Shopping:
There are five main shopping areas in Madrid shopping - Salamanca, Chueca, the centre (near Puerta del Sol), Princesa and Cuatro Caminos. There is something to cater for all tastes and budgets. In the centre you'll find well known high street brands like Zara, and Bersha and you also have El Corte Ingles. Salamanca is Madrid's answer to Bond street with designer stores and along this glamorous stretch. Most of the shops and shopping centers are open from 10.00 to 20.30 or 21.30 hours. Traditional shops open from 10.00 to 14.00 and from 16.30 to 20.30 hours. Tthe winter sales generally begin in the second week of January and last until the end of February and the summer sales begin on 1st July and last until the end of August.
Madrid is also home to Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid and their respective stadiums, Santiago Bernabeu and Vicente Calderon and are a must see for any fan.
Siesta's are a must if you plan to enjoy the nightlife in Madrid, with it's huge range of bars and nightclubs opeing late in the evening and not closing until next morning.
This cosmopolitan city has something to offer everyone and is a must see on your list of European cities to visit.