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Madrid

Parque del Buen Retiro

This park is like the Central Park of NYC, it is enormous, filled with over 15,000 trees, and there are other, smaller gardens within it. One of the main attractions here is the lake; you can rent rowboats and go out on the water, but remember that King Alfonso XII is always watching you from his monument. Another gem is the Cristal Palace that was built in 1887 as a winter garden for exotic flowers, and now houses different temporary art exhibitions! There is yet another lake outside this palace where you can feed the ducks. If you want to see the only statue in the world representing the devil, go to Parque del Buen Retiro! It’s technically a monument representing the Fallen Angel being exiled from Paradise. Lastly, the oldest tree in the city lives here-a Mexican cypress that was planted in 1633.

Templo de Debod

This gem is actually from Egypt and was given as a gift to the Spanish government in 1968 as a thank you for helping Egypt rescue ancient monuments from flooding in the Nile River. It was originally built in the 2nd century BC, which makes it the oldest monument in Madrid! Now, how did it make the journey all the way to Madrid? Workers carefully deconstructed and packaged every piece, sent them to Valencia by boat, and then shipped them by train to Madrid. It took a few more years to rebuild the temple, and they reconstructed it on top of an old Civil War military base. Quick note about the military base-when Franco was approaching Madrid at the start of the Spanish Civil War the people of Madrid desperately stormed the base in order to arm themselves…and ultimately they failed. However, nowadays it is a beautiful place to watch the sun set or to walk around the Parque del Oeste that surrounds it.

Mercado de San Miguel

This is one of Spain’s oldest surviving markets, and is beautifully constructed out of iron and glass. It looks different from other markets because certain pieces, such as the glass and designs on the roof, were inspired by French style architecture. The market almost gives you the feeling of eating outside because of the wall to wall glass panels, and it is a wonderful place to eat and watch all the Madrileños going about their daily lives. There are many delicious foods such as a croquets cart, tapas, jamón, and other popular Spanish foods.

El Rastro

El Rastro means the trail, and sure enough, every Sunday you can blaze a trail through the crowds of people at Madrid’s largest flea market. It has a great variety of products, both new and old, but you must guard your money carefully because it’s easy to get pickpocketed. You can also try out your haggling skills with the stall vendors. El Rastro is a melting pot of languages, cultures, and ethnicities, and even if you’re not planning on buying something, it is fun to walk around and soak up the excitement.

Palacio Real

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the fifth largest palace in the world, and is covered from wall to wall in luxurious tapestries decorated with Spanish history, enormous rooms, and many crystal chandeliers. There are an incredible number of rooms-3,418 to be exact. There is even a pharmacy and an armory, and there are over 115 clocks throughout the palace, all in working condition. It used to be the home of the Royal Family, but is now used for state ceremonies.

A long time ago, before this palace existed, there were 2 other castles, a Muslim fortress during the 9th century, and then the Royal Palace of Christian kings. That one was built out of wood, and it burned to the ground on Christmas Eve in 1734, so King Phillip V decided to build a new palace on the same site. It took 26 years to build but it is filled with works of art by famous Italian and Spanish artists. An interesting fact about the grand staircase in the entrance right off the courtyard is that it is actually made of just one piece of stone! Also, one of the two bells here in the entrance is a survivor of the 1734 fire, which means it is 282 years old.

Jardines de las Vistillas

These gardens are a semi-hidden jewel in the middle of historic Madrid. They offer an incredible view of the city during the day as well as at night. It was first created in the 18th century by a Roman Marques, and then redesigned in the neo-classical style at the beginning of the 20th century. The statue in the center is called La Violetera because it represents the famous Argentinian star, Celia Gámez. During Spain’s Civil War, the gardens were heavily bombarded by the Nationalists, but soldiers here took shelter in a Republican bunker. Today these gardens are considered to be some of the greenest, literally greenest, gardens in Madrid!

Cathedral de la Almudena

This is Madrid’s main cathedral, directly opposite the Royal Palace. It doesn’t look very old, and it’s not, at least compared to some of the other cathedrals we will see. It was started in 1879 with a plan to become a gothic cathedral, but stopped many times due to lack of funding or to the Civil War, and so in the 1950’s there was a national contest to find a new architectural style, since the gothic style was deemed to be too out of place. In 1993 Pope John Paul II officially consecrated the Cathedral, and it has been open since then. Inside you can see a 16th century Virgen de la Almudena painting, which is one of the city’s two patron saints.

Museo del Prado

The Prado Museum forms one of the points of a triangle called the Golden Triangle of Art, which is comprised of two other important art museums, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. The Prado is completely filled with artwork from many famous artists and is one of the best art collections in the world. From 12th century murals to 19th century Goya, the artwork spans a large period of history and includes artists such as El Greco, Velasquez, and Rubens. One of El Greco’s famous paintings that he painted for his death, The Adoration of the Shepherds, is located here, and shows elongated, ghostlike figures surrounding Jesus in the manger. There is also a slightly creepy collection by Goya called The Black Paintings that has themes of insanity, panic, and a cup half-empty outlook on life that he painted on the walls of his house. There are three floors in the Prado and if you are an art lover, one day will not be enough, but anyone can go to the Prado and appreciate the amount of history its walls contain.

Parque de la Montaña

Montaña means mountain, so this is the Mountain Park. This park gives you a view of the southern part of Madrid, and is best known for the Templo de Debod that resides inside it. It is where the old Civil War army barracks used to be and was the first confinement in the city when the first uprising happened.

Museo Reina Sofía

In comparison to the Prado, the Reina Sofía Museum is relatively new and contains artwork from mostly the 20th century. That is, it is very different from the Prado. It officially opened in 1990, but before that had been used as a hospital since the 16th century! Obviously, it has undergone many renovations, but it is now host to a permanent collection of artwork by artists such as Dalí and Picasso, as well as many temporary exhibits. The highlight of this museum is, without a doubt, Picasso’s Guernica. Guernica, a mural sized piece, was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Spanish village, during the Civil War by German and Italian warplanes at the request of the Spanish Nationalists. The city was completely destroyed, and Picasso painted it to draw attention to the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War and to raise aid funds. There are many other great works of contemporary art in the Reina Sofia, including sculptures and sketches by famous artists.

Gran Vía

If Madrid appears to be an old, antique city, then el Gran Vía is here to challenge that. They had to knock down over 334 buildings in order to build this grand avenue, and it took a long time because of the complexity of the project, but they did it to help with traffic congestion and to connect the different districts. Construction started in 1910 on one of the three sections, the third ending in 1931. Thus, it shows different architectural styles throughout the years. Here you can shop, eat where all the stars eat, and go to plays at theaters. The famous Telefónica building, Metrópolis, and Capitol building are also here.

Flamenco

Flamenco is composed of passionate dancing, singing, and instrumental performances that show Spanish culture and history. It is made up of four parts-voice, dance, guitar, and encouragement from the audience. It became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, although many believe the Gypsies were its primary creators. When the Gypsies and Jews were heavily persecuted and could not express their religion or way of life, they turned to flamenco as a way of easing their pain. Flamenco has evolved much throughout the years, and almost even died out, but today it is close to Spain’s heart. When watching flamenco Spaniards will call out at the dancer or singer and clap their hands, but it can be hard to follow the beat!

El Escorial

Did you know there was another palace only a short drive away from Madrid that used to be the headquarters of King Phillip II? This is the Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial-a long name for a palace, but King Phillip’s reign went all the way from Madrid to Mexico and Manila, and he also ruled during the Reformation when he defended Spain from Protestant “heretics”. He decorated this palace in the same way it was designed to be, homogenous and somber. Only a few artists were commissioned in order to preserve a feeling of unity throughout the castle. Inside there is a church, monastery, library, college, and a mausoleum. El Escorial is one of the most sought out sites to visit in Spain because of its beautifully preserved history and the fact that it’s a monument to the Renaissance.

Estadio Bernabéu

This stadium is home to the Real Madrid soccer, or ‘fútbol’ team. It opened in 1947 and can house up to 81,000 people! Santiago Bernabéu is one of the world's most famous and prestigious football venues. During your tour here, you’ll get to see their impressive trophy room, the history of how soccer has developed, photos throughout the years, the team’s dressing room, and even their dugout area, where you can sit in the same big blue chairs the players sit in during games. And of course, at the end is Real Madrid’s official store.

Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor is a breath of fresh air after Madrid’s tightly packed and small streets, and combines a most interesting history with beautiful architecture. It’s a great meeting spot because it is right in the middle of Old Madrid. This plaza was meant to be used for important events, and it has stayed true to its roots with bullfights, executions, pageants, and trials during the Inquisition. Construction started in 1617 but with multiple fires, its designed has changed more than once. Normally in city plazas there are four entrances, one at each corner of the square. Plaza Mayor, however, has nine separate entrance gates!

Many celebrations such as weddings and births took place here, and often, to celebrate, the King and Queen would watch bullfights from the balcony, while thousands of people crammed below. However, many people also died here. The first execution happened in 1621 to a secretary of the King. Then, during the Spanish Inquisition, which for those that don’t know was a crusade to maintain the Catholic orthodoxy, many more people were executed by burning at the stake or by the Garrotte.

Puerta del Sol

The Gate of the Sun used to actually be the eastern gate to enter into the city, but it can be hard to imagine that today with all the people rushing around. The main building houses the headquarters of the Community of Madrid’s regional government. The clock tower is famous for New Years Eve, when all the Madrileños watch it as they count down to the new year by eating one grape for each of the bell's twelve chimes at midnight! Here you can also touch the official starting point of Spain’s six National Roads-a plaque in the ground outside the Casa de Correos. Don’t forget to look for a sculpture of a bear and a strawberry tree though: they are the official symbol of the city!

Emily Parrott
Marketing Intern

Even if history doesn’t interest you, you'll love the story behind Templo de Debod - It was a thank you for helping Egypt conserve ancient monuments from flooding in the Nile River when the government was constructing a new dam. If they didn’t move it, it would have been underwater forever, so they decided to painstakingly move it all the way to Spain.

Debod was originally built in the 2nd century BC as a dedication to the gods Amon and Isis. Today it is, not surprisingly, the oldest monument in Madrid!

To make the journey here, workers carefully deconstructed and packaged every piece, sent them to Valencia by boat, and then shipped them by train to Madrid. It took a few more years to rebuild the temple in the park, but it was worth all the effort because it is truly a beautiful piece of history.

There are two arched doors that look like they’re standing guard in front of the main temple, which is a fairly unassuming building from the outside. Inside, you can see photos of its history as well as ancient carvings in a small museum on the upper level.

My favorite part is the outside because it is a perfect balance of natural and artificial elements - Templo de Debod sits there, asking you to admire its stony beauty and take in its reflection on the still water.

My first time at Templo de Debod was on a Students Love Travel high school trip!

It is a great place to relax, day or night (although I prefer night because of the way the structures are lit up). The gardens that surround it also add to the tranquility of this area.

- Emily

Mercado de San Miguel

This is one of Spain’s oldest surviving markets, and is beautifully constructed out of iron and glass. It looks different from other markets because certain pieces, such as the glass and designs on the roof, were inspired by French style architecture. The market almost gives you the feeling of eating outside because of the wall to wall glass panels, and it is a wonderful place to eat and watch all the Madrileños going about their daily lives. There are many delicious foods such as a croquets cart, tapas, jamón, and other popular Spanish foods.

El Rastro

El Rastro means the trail, and sure enough, every Sunday you can blaze a trail through the crowds of people at Madrid’s largest flea market. It has a great variety of products, both new and old, but you must guard your money carefully because it’s easy to get pickpocketed. You can also try out your haggling skills with the stall vendors. El Rastro is a melting pot of languages, cultures, and ethnicities, and even if you’re not planning on buying something, it is fun to walk around and soak up the excitement.

Museo Reina Sofía

In comparison to the Prado, the Reina Sofía Museum is relatively new and contains artwork from mostly the 20th century. That is, it is very different from the Prado. It officially opened in 1990, but before that had been used as a hospital since the 16th century! Obviously, it has undergone many renovations, but it is now host to a permanent collection of artwork by artists such as Dalí and Picasso, as well as many temporary exhibits. The highlight of this museum is, without a doubt, Picasso’s Guernica. Guernica, a mural sized piece, was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, a Spanish village, during the Civil War by German and Italian warplanes at the request of the Spanish Nationalists. The city was completely destroyed, and Picasso painted it to draw attention to the atrocities of the Spanish Civil War and to raise aid funds. There are many other great works of contemporary art in the Reina Sofia, including sculptures and sketches by famous artists.

Cathedral de la Almudena

This is Madrid’s main cathedral, directly opposite the Royal Palace. It doesn’t look very old, and it’s not, at least compared to some of the other cathedrals we will see. It was started in 1879 with a plan to become a gothic cathedral, but stopped many times due to lack of funding or to the Civil War, and so in the 1950’s there was a national contest to find a new architectural style, since the gothic style was deemed to be too out of place. In 1993 Pope John Paul II officially consecrated the Cathedral, and it has been open since then. Inside you can see a 16th century Virgen de la Almudena painting, which is one of the city’s two patron saints.

Palacio Real

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the fifth largest palace in the world, and is covered from wall to wall in luxurious tapestries decorated with Spanish history, enormous rooms, and many crystal chandeliers. There are an incredible number of rooms-3,418 to be exact. There is even a pharmacy and an armory, and there are over 115 clocks throughout the palace, all in working condition. It used to be the home of the Royal Family, but is now used for state ceremonies.

A long time ago, before this palace existed, there were 2 other castles, a Muslim fortress during the 9th century, and then the Royal Palace of Christian kings. That one was built out of wood, and it burned to the ground on Christmas Eve in 1734, so King Phillip V decided to build a new palace on the same site. It took 26 years to build but it is filled with works of art by famous Italian and Spanish artists. An interesting fact about the grand staircase in the entrance right off the courtyard is that it is actually made of just one piece of stone! Also, one of the two bells here in the entrance is a survivor of the 1734 fire, which means it is 282 years old.

Estadio Bernabéu

This stadium is home to the Real Madrid soccer, or ‘fútbol’ team. It opened in 1947 and can house up to 81,000 people! Santiago Bernabéu is one of the world's most famous and prestigious football venues. During your tour here, you’ll get to see their impressive trophy room, the history of how soccer has developed, photos throughout the years, the team’s dressing room, and even their dugout area, where you can sit in the same big blue chairs the players sit in during games. And of course, at the end is Real Madrid’s official store.

Museo del Prado

The Prado Museum forms one of the points of a triangle called the Golden Triangle of Art, which is comprised of two other important art museums, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. The Prado is completely filled with artwork from many famous artists and is one of the best art collections in the world. From 12th century murals to 19th century Goya, the artwork spans a large period of history and includes artists such as El Greco, Velasquez, and Rubens. One of El Greco’s famous paintings that he painted for his death, The Adoration of the Shepherds, is located here, and shows elongated, ghostlike figures surrounding Jesus in the manger. There is also a slightly creepy collection by Goya called The Black Paintings that has themes of insanity, panic, and a cup half-empty outlook on life that he painted on the walls of his house. There are three floors in the Prado and if you are an art lover, one day will not be enough, but anyone can go to the Prado and appreciate the amount of history its walls contain.

El Escorial

Did you know there was another palace only a short drive away from Madrid that used to be the headquarters of King Phillip II? This is the Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial-a long name for a palace, but King Phillip’s reign went all the way from Madrid to Mexico and Manila, and he also ruled during the Reformation when he defended Spain from Protestant “heretics”. He decorated this palace in the same way it was designed to be, homogenous and somber. Only a few artists were commissioned in order to preserve a feeling of unity throughout the castle. Inside there is a church, monastery, library, college, and a mausoleum. El Escorial is one of the most sought out sites to visit in Spain because of its beautifully preserved history and the fact that it’s a monument to the Renaissance.

Parque del Buen Retiro

This park is like the Central Park of NYC, it is enormous, filled with over 15,000 trees, and there are other, smaller gardens within it. One of the main attractions here is the lake; you can rent rowboats and go out on the water, but remember that King Alfonso XII is always watching you from his monument. Another gem is the Cristal Palace that was built in 1887 as a winter garden for exotic flowers, and now houses different temporary art exhibitions! There is yet another lake outside this palace where you can feed the ducks. If you want to see the only statue in the world representing the devil, go to Parque del Buen Retiro! It’s technically a monument representing the Fallen Angel being exiled from Paradise. Lastly, the oldest tree in the city lives here-a Mexican cypress that was planted in 1633.

Gran Vía

If Madrid appears to be an old, antique city, then el Gran Vía is here to challenge that. They had to knock down over 334 buildings in order to build this grand avenue, and it took a long time because of the complexity of the project, but they did it to help with traffic congestion and to connect the different districts. Construction started in 1910 on one of the three sections, the third ending in 1931. Thus, it shows different architectural styles throughout the years. Here you can shop, eat where all the stars eat, and go to plays at theaters. The famous Telefónica building, Metrópolis, and Capitol building are also here.

Flamenco

Flamenco is composed of passionate dancing, singing, and instrumental performances that show Spanish culture and history. It is made up of four parts-voice, dance, guitar, and encouragement from the audience. It became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, although many believe the Gypsies were its primary creators. When the Gypsies and Jews were heavily persecuted and could not express their religion or way of life, they turned to flamenco as a way of easing their pain. Flamenco has evolved much throughout the years, and almost even died out, but today it is close to Spain’s heart. When watching flamenco Spaniards will call out at the dancer or singer and clap their hands, but it can be hard to follow the beat!

Jardines de las Vistillas

These gardens are a semi-hidden jewel in the middle of historic Madrid. They offer an incredible view of the city during the day as well as at night. It was first created in the 18th century by a Roman Marques, and then redesigned in the neo-classical style at the beginning of the 20th century. The statue in the center is called La Violetera because it represents the famous Argentinian star, Celia Gámez. During Spain’s Civil War, the gardens were heavily bombarded by the Nationalists, but soldiers here took shelter in a Republican bunker. Today these gardens are considered to be some of the greenest, literally greenest, gardens in Madrid!

Parque de la Montaña

Montaña means mountain, so this is the Mountain Park. This park gives you a view of the southern part of Madrid, and is best known for the Templo de Debod that resides inside it. It is where the old Civil War army barracks used to be and was the first confinement in the city when the first uprising happened.

Emily Parrott
Marketing Intern

My first experience of flamenco was at Casa Patas in Madrid. It was back in 2011 on my first trip to Spain and it's one of my favorite memories of that trip because it was one of my first glimpses into Spanish culture.

Casa Patas has been instrumental in the revitalization of 'pure' traditional flamenco (with recognition from UNESCO) and it is THE place where everyone wants to perform and its walls are filled, literally filled, with photos of past artists. Sometimes previous artists will be spotted in the crowd and invited up on stage, this always makes for an extra special evening!

But what is Flamenco?

Flamenco is a form of musical expression. It started when the Gypsies came to Andalusia from India in the 1400s. When they, along with the Jews, were heavily persecuted by the Christians and could not express their religion or way of life, they turned to flamenco as a way of easing their pain. When Flamenco became popular in clubs the Gypsies refused to perform, so the clubs booked non-Gypsies and inevitably the traditional form of Flamenco began to fade away. By the 1960s it had almost been lost.

Today, during a Casa Patas show you can experience many of the flamenco styles - some styles are sung solo with no supporting instruments or dancing, sometimes a guitar player will accompany a singer, and sometimes there are multiple singers, dancers, and a variety of musical instruments.

Next time you're in Madrid try to catch a show at Casa Patas. The passion for their art evident in their facial expressions, their voices, and the ever increasing showers of sweat which fly through the air.

You'll never forget the experience!

- Emily