Madrid, Spain ranks third in population amongst cities in Europe, and is the largest city in Spain. It's size, however, doesn't seem to stop thousands of tourists from visiting the city every year. That's probably because Madrid offers an incredible variety of attractions ranging from classical music venues to hopping night clubs.
Because of its location on the Manzanares River, Madrid has been home to people since pre-historic times. However, the city's documented history begins in the 9th century when a small palace was built on the present day site of the Palacio Real. The palace was built under orders from Muhammad I. The Muslims living in the area at the time called the Manzanares "al-Majrit," which means "source of water." As a result, the region was named Majerit, which later became Madrid.
Today Madrid is one of the most popular destinations for travelers to Spain. It's best known for the large number of monuments and cultural attractions. Madrid is also considered among the best cities in Europe for touring art museums. Along the Paseo del Prado sit three popular museums that are endowed by the Golden Triangle of Art.
The Prado Museum is the most well-known of the three Golden Triangle museums. It contains Diego Velazquez's "Las Meninas" and Francisco de Goya's "La maja vestida" and "La maja desnuda." The Thyssen Bornemisza Museum is another of the Golden Triangle museums, and is comprised of art from a mixed private collection. The third museum, the Reina Sofia Museum, holds Pablo Picasso's "Guernica."
In addition to its many museums, Madrid also has a number of other attractions that are popular with tourists. Among them are the enormous Royal Palace of Madrid, the Teatro Real (also called the Royal Theater) and its refurbished 1850 Opera House, and the National Library building, which was established in 1712 and holds many of Spain's historical archives.
After spending a busy day touring Madrid's many sites, tourists can also take part in the exciting nightlife the city offers. Madrid is very well known in Europe for its wild nightlife and numerous night clubs. It's not at all uncommon for the young people of Madrid to spend an entire night dancing then, without sleeping, shower and report to their places of employment.
Another big draw for Madrid is its bullfighting season. The season begins in March and ends in October. During the San Isidro festivities, bullfights take place every day from mid-March to the end of June. Then, for the remainder of the season, bullfights are held every Sunday as well as on public holidays.
Although Madrid attracts thousands of tourists, it is well equipped to comfortably accommodate them all. There are a number of beautiful places to stay, including both hotels and holiday apartments.
One of the nicest things about locating vacation accommodations in Madrid is that you're not limited to an area with only a certain type of attraction. There are several hotels and holiday apartments centrally located to cultural attractions as well as shopping and nightlife.
Shopping is a fun and favorite pastime for many. It is no longer something only women enjoy. Today men and children get find it as much fun as women. When you think of shopping, certain places such as London or New York come to mind. Once you vacation in Madrid, you will find that shopping in Madrid Spain offers it all. Everyone loves to buy souvenirs or little gifts to bring back home. We enjoyed our recent trip there . You'll have no problem finding something for everyone in any one of their great stores or shops.
Everyone has their own ideas of what they're looking for and Madrid keeps this in mind with their wide array of shopping facilities, whether it's small antique stores, gift boutiques that specialize in genders or simple little flea markets on the street. Lavapies offers the young people (or the baby boomers from the 60s) a taste of hippie life. While they're browsing there, you can tour Madrid's elite shopping street, Gran Via.
Vacations are for relaxing and with their available nighttime shopping, there's no need to hurry out in the morning to avoid stores closing too early for you. Plaza mayor has many stalls with salespeople are eager to make barters with you. Be aware-what starts out as a deal may end up with you getting caught up in the sale and paying more than you expected. Many of these are almost like auctions. If flea markets are your big thing, you won't want to miss El Rastro, which is one of Madrid's large outdoor flea market. You can find almost anything you like from junk, old clothes to fine antiques.
If you choose to go shopping during the week, you'll avoid a lot of the crowd, but won't have as much shopping available. The weekends are when the natives and tourists come to set up their shops. Sunday also offers a great coin and stamp fair for the avid collectors. Shopping is the best part of tourism, so it's worth it fight the crowd.
If you are interested in sightseeing, you will love the statue of Eloy Gonzalo, which is located in the middle of Cascorro Square. This statue is also your way of knowing you've reached the Metro stop at La Latina. Be sure to bring your camera along. You'll find yourself nestled right between the Plaza de Cascorro and Ronda de Toledo.
Regardless of what type of shopping you are accustomed to, Madrid has it all. You'll never have enough time for the Alcal, a shopping center that has many stores offering apparel, shoe and miscellaneous items for everyone. If you want to stay with the upscale and designer clothes, Calle Serrano is the place to be. Men will love the shopping at Calle Princessa. You can take the Metro to any of the fine shops and centers.
Don't forget to check out Mercado de San Miguel, which offers many small shops offering fresh fruit, vegetables and many more items. Shopping will build your appetite. You will be glad you decided to make Madrid your travel destination for shopping when you check out Calle Preciados, a shopping area that's only for pedestrians. One of Madrid's finest stores and part of a chain, El Cortes Ingles will have almost anything you could want.
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Gaizka Pujana has sinced written about articles on various topics from Barcelona Holidays, Family Travel and Culture and Society. Gaizka Pujana is the co-owner of Barcelona Homes, S.L. which is a company specialized in providing short term tenancy solutions in Seville and Barcelona through its web pages. Gaizka Pujana's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Ken Morris has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Home Management and Air Purifier Cleaners. Ken Morris published at large for , an online site with information about paella recipe and paella pans. His writings on. Ken Morris's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.