Madrid (city) - Madrid (stad)

Madrid[1] is the capital of Spain and is located almost exactly in the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula. Madrid is also the largest city in Spain with 3.2 million inhabitants (July 2005) and 5.8 million inhabitants (with conurbation). Madrid is known for its cultural and artistic heritage, such as the El Prado Museum. Madrid is also known for its wild nightlife.

Info

Arrive

By plane

Ryanair flies daily direct to Madrid from airport Eindhoven, Duesseldorf[2] or Charleroi. Transavia and Vueling Airlines fly daily direct to Madrid from the airport Amsterdam Schiphol. Naturally, KLM and Iberia also maintain scheduled services between the Benelux and Madrid.

By train

Madrid has train connections from and to:

• Barcelona - with the high-speed train AVE you can get to Madrid in five hours.
• France - direct high-speed train from Paris to Madrid, train connection from Montpellier with transfer in Barcelona.
• Italy - train connection from Milan with transfer in Barcelona.
• Portugal - direct train from Lisbon to Madrid.
• Switzerland - train connection from Zurich with transfer in Barcelona.

A train journey from the Netherlands or Belgium is not recommended, because flying is cheaper and faster. It is possible to travel with high-speed trains from or via of Brussels and Lyon nasty Barcelona to travel.

By car

By bus

By boat

Travel around

By bike

Trixi Madrid specializes in offering bicycle rental. De Madrileen is also increasingly cycling himself. The number of bicycles in Madrid is estimated at about fifty thousand.

By metro

Madrid has an excellent metro system. For about €2.00 you can make a one-way ticket throughout the city. It is also possible to buy a day ticket for less than €6.00. You can use the metro all day long. Moreover, it is possible to buy a card for ten metro rides, then you pay €0.90 for a ride.

By train

If you want to travel further than the places of the metro, you can use Renfe Cercanías. These are trains that depart from Atocha Renfe metro station to surrounding regions. For example, you can travel to El Escorial through Cercanías.

For travel to other regions, other Renfe services are available. For example, separate train journeys are available from Madrid to Toledo, Segovia, Salamanca, Barcelona and Seville.

To look at

• Royal Palace. The royal family of Spain used to live here. Can be reached via Ópera metro station. Free entrance for residents of the E.U. on Wednesday.
• Cathedral Almudena. Accessible via metrostationpera metro station.
• San Francisco Cathedral. Can be reached via Ópera metro station.
• Retiro Park. This park is considered the 'Central Park' of Madrid. It is a very well-kept park, where you can enjoy the sun, do sports and sit on a terrace. You can also rent a boat. Can be reached via metro station Retiro.
• La Casa de Campo. This is a well maintained park with flower garden. It used to be exclusively for use by the royal family, but nowadays anyone can use it. Accessible via metro station Lago, Casa de Campo, Moncloa, Argüelles, Plaza España and Ópera.
• Gran Via. This literally means 'great or broad way'. It is the main street of Madrid with a lot of traffic, cinemas and theaters. It's similar to Times Square in New York.
• Sol. The main square and central place of Madrid. Here you can go out and shop. In terms of facilities, this square is comparable to the Leidse Plein in Amsterdam, but has its own style. Accessible via Sol metro station.
• Plaza Mayor. An impressive square, which is modeled after a square of the same name in Salamanca. You can eat well on the square, although it is quite pricey. You can go out well in the region around the square. Accessible via Sol metro station.
• Plaza Espana. This square is surrounded by large flats, but the square itself mainly consists of a park with statues. From here you can go to La Casa de Campo. Accessible via Plaza España metro station.
• bullring. Bullfights are held here every Sunday. For the price of two euros you can be present as a spectator. If you don't like that, the arena is worth a visit, there is also a free museum. It is a special building with Moorish influences. Can be reached via metro station Ventas.
• Debod Temple. Two relics from the old Egypt were donated to Spain by Egypt because Spain helped save the temples from annual floods. Both temples now stand in the center of Madrid. Can be reached via Plaza España. You also have a nice view over the royal palace and the cathedral.
• Atochac Station. Atocha station has a large courtyard, where turtles and other animals live. There is also a monument here to the victims of the Madrid attacks in 2004.
• Museum El Prado. Madrid's most visited museum. Accessible via Atocha metro station. Here you can see a lot of the personal history of Spain. Here you can also find work by the Dutch artist Jeroen Bosch.
• Museum Reina Sofia. A gigantic museum with mainly modern art. There are paintings from the movements Cubism and Surrealism. The most important work of art is Picasso's Guernica. The painter Dali can also be seen many works in this museum. Accessible via Atocha metro station.
• Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza. Another museum with an excellent collection of artworks. It is close to the aforementioned Museum El Prado. Accessible via Banco de España metro station.
• Reina Sofia. This is where Pablo Picasso's most famous piece hangs: the colossal painting Guernica.

To do

• Birding excursions in Madrid.] The immediate vicinity of Madrid is one of the best places in Spain for birdwatching [3]. The very rare Spanish Imperial Eagle and Black Vulture are found around Madrid.
• Every Sunday from 9.30 am to 3 pm there is a flea market "El Rastro", it is pleasant to stroll around in the small streets. Accessible via metro La Latina or Puerta de Toledo.

To learn

• It is possible to learn Spanish in Madrid at several language schools.
•    Cronopios Idiomas language school, Calle Espalter 12, ☎ 34 915 222 014, e-mail: [email protected]. Mon-Fri 08:30–17:30. Co-op school run by the teachers themselves. The Spanish courses are based on a communicative approach. Other services offered include cultural workshops and tours in collaboration with a historian and art expert, and assistance with student housing.

To buy

Food

If you go to El Rastro on a Sunday, you should definitely have lunch at "El Capricho Extremeño". You can eat richly filled toasted sandwiches for only 2 euros.

Going out

stay overnight

Budget

• Los Amigos Backpackers Hostel[4], - With beds available for less than 20 euros per night and two very central locations (Metro stations Sol and Opera). Los Amigos is therefore a great place for budget travelers. Breakfast consists of bread with jam, honey or butter, cornflakes, milk, tea or coffee. There is also a kitchen where you can cook, a lounge area and a small bar. The beds are clean, comfortable and the staff is friendly. On Saturday evenings it is possible to sleep for 11 euros in the Opera branch. However, this option is not recommended due to the non-comfortable beds, 8am wake-up time and loud music at night.

Average

•    Hostal Paris, Calle de la Montera 15, Piso 2 (Metro: Sol or Gran Via), ☎ 34 910 232 983, e-mail: [email protected]. Check in: 13:00, check out: 11:00. This simple Jugendstil hotel is centrally located near Puerta del Sol. Minimum stay of 2 nights, no breakfast. Prices start at €48.50 per night for a double room with private bathroom.

• NH Eurobuilding[5] Centrally located in the heart of the modern part of Madrid, near the Palacio de Congresos and Exposiciones de la Castellana convention centers and many other important buildings of the city such as Torre Europa, Torre Picasso, Torre Kio and the Azca Centre. NH Hotels has 36 Madrid hotels

• Hotel ME Madrid, Plaza de Santa Ana 14, ☎ 34 91 7016000. Great location.

• Hotel Petit Palace Lealtad Plaza ****, c/Antonio Maura, 5, 28014 Madrid, ☎ 34 915 224 547. Design hotel, El Retiro, Madrid.

Expensive

•    Eurostars Suites Mirasierra, Calle Alfredo Marquerie 43, ☎ 34 91 727 79 00, e-mail: [email protected]. Modern 5 star hotel in Madrid's chic Mirasierra district. The renowned Verdil Restaurant is located in the hotel [6]. From €112.00 per night.

Safety

Compared to other large cities, the city is relatively safe. It does have to do with the insecurity of most major cities, such as pickpockets.

Contact

all around

There are many destinations outside of Madrid that are of interest. Some popular destinations:

• El Escorial - With the largest monastery in Spain.
• Salamanca - Large medieval city, close to the border with Portugal. The center contains countless churches, cathedrals and medieval squares. A well-known attraction is the university wall, where the aim is to find the 'frog'. Remember to make a reservation at Atocha station the day before departure.
• Segovia - A medieval city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main attraction is an ancient Roman viaduct in the center of the city.
• Toledo - A medieval city with a city wall. The former capital of Spain and residence of the kings. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This is a usable article. It contains information on how to get there, as well as the main attractions, nightlife and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but dive in and expand it!

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