Madrid - Tourist Attractions & Sights

If you are planning to visit this Captivating City then you should make a game plan before you go, in order to fully maximize your vacation. By taking a little time before your holiday to find out where things are and how to get to them, you will leave yourself much more time to enjoy what the city has to offer when you get there.

Madrid has plenty more to offer, and the listed attractions should merely act as a starting point for your excursions!

The Madrid Prado Museum

is considered internationally to be one of the world’s most significant art institutions. The majority of the work by both Goya and Velasquez is housed here, along with many and notable works by El Greco, Murillo and Zurbaran. The galleries are similarly home to a substantial collection of Flemish paintings including work by Rubens, Van Dyck and Rembrandt.

Wandering through the hallways of this extensive museum is a lovely way to spend the afternoon (especially if it happens to be raining). The work on display here is both eye-catching and interesting, and it is easy to find staff members to answer any questions that you may have.

If you do decide to go to the Prado Museum, make sure that you organise your visit properly, as there is a lot to see here. Opening times can vary depending on the season, so check this out in advance before you go.

• Museo del Prado
• Paseo del Prado s/n, Madrid 28014
• Tel: +34 91 429 0770

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia

This world famous gallery houses what could be described as the vanguard of the early twentieth century art. Some truly stunning work can be viewed here; such as artwork by Spanish artists like Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Juan Gris, and Salvador Dalí.

For those who are interested in a bit of history with their art they will be pleased to know that the collection shows artistic trends from the 1940’s to the early 1980’s with works by artists such as Eduardo Chillida and Antonio Saura.

This gallery is perhaps filled with some of the greatest work that Spain, and Europe has ever produced. The Salvador Dalí paintings are particularly captivating, and are filled with hidden meanings, metaphors and optical illusions.

As with all of the major attractions in Madrid, it is advisable to check out the opening times of the gallery in advance to make sure it is open on the day you want to visit.

• Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
• Calle Santa Isabel 52, Madrid 28012
• Tel: +34 91 467 5062

The Arab Wall

Madrid’s ancient city walls are well worth a visit and the remains of the old Arab walls can still be seen. Originally, the walls surrounded the Settlement of Magerit, which later became Madrid. If you walk beside these ancient relics, breathing in the hot afternoon air, you can almost feel what it was like to live so long ago.

Keen observers will also be able to see Islamic Remains from the 9th and 10th centuries and later Christian relics from the 12th and 13th centuries. You can spend a full day or more here, as there is plenty to see and learn.

The Arab Wall provides the chance for you to see a piece of history, whilst getting outside to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine that Madrid is so renowned for.

• The Arab Wall
• Cuesta de la Vega s/n,
• Madrid

The Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor - Madrid's main town square, which once hosted everything from bullfights to the trials of the Spanish Inquisition - is one of Europe's most beautiful, with its shades of ochre, its cobblestones, its grand murals and its outdoor tables from which to enjoy the musicians and street performers who adorn the city Plazas are a recurring theme and they promise the ideal front-row seats from which to vicariously enjoy the thrill of being a madrileo with a glass of Spanish Rioja wine in hand and an eye on the endless fascination of Madrid's street life.

The days of the past are now long gone, but this beautiful square still remains. It is decorated with eye-catching, kaleidoscopic-coloured murals and is surrounded by baroque architecture, providing a stunning array of images for tourists to soak in. Standing at the Plaza Mayor feels like standing on the life-pulse of Madrid.

Tourists are free to visit the many plaza shops and cafes surrounding the square and enjoy the calm mornings, the busy afternoons, and the lively evenings. Many of the best tapas bars in the city can be found at the Plaza Mayor.