Madrid - Royal and Real.

Madrid - Royal and Real

As the capital of the Spanish Empire, Madrid was once the richest and most powerful city in the world. That kind of past leaves a big impression on a place and in Madrid it is easy to see. For palaces, museums and concerts it is up there with the best in the world. Even if the royal family has largely abandoned the palace, Madrid remains a royal city with refined tastes.

The Royal Theater is Spain's most important classical music venue, hosting opera and concert events. And at the Royal Palace (Palacio Real) the overwhelming wealth of the Spanish Empire is at its most evident in three thousand rooms bedecked with priceless paintings from down the ages. If you're looking for culture, you've definitely come to the right place. The museums of the "golden triangle" alone, namely the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza, feature a stunning array of paintings ranging from Old Masters to modern surrealists all housed in some of Spain's most magnificent buildings. And the rest of the city is just as rich in cultural icons and architecture.

But Madrid is also a city for going out and partying. The area of Malasana is packed with bars and restaurants that stay open until dawn and rival anything Barcelona has to offer. There is also a growing interest in flamenco among Madrid's young population, which has led to shows and clubs springing up across the city. Add to that the most successful football team in Europe with Real Madrid and it is clear that Madrid today is every bit as confident as it was in its imperial heyday.

A good start is to get the Madrid Card, which offers free entry to more than 40 museums, and discounts in many shops and restaurants, as well as free public transport. The card is available from tourist offices. Cost: 1 day: EUR28, 2 days: EUR42, 3 days: EUR55. Here are some highlights for readers. Art lovers will adore the Prado (Museo del Prado), one of Europe's leading galleries and Madrid's top attraction. It has an incredible collection of old masters predominantly from the Italian, Spanish and Dutch schools. Masterpieces by Rubens, Goya and Bosch sit side by side with works by El Greco, Titian and Velazquez. The museum is set in lovely surroundings - hold on to your free map that you get with your ticket or risk getting hopelessly lost among the 1500 pieces of art that are on display at any one time. Paseo del Prado. Open: Tue-Sun 09h00-19h30. Admission: EUR3, adults; free, under 18 & over 65.

For centuries Madrid's plazas have been hubs of city life, the sites of markets, celebrations and gatherings for entire communities. Plaza Mayor is the city's largest urban square and was once the focus for the regional market, when cattle would even be herded down the old city's narrow streets to the very heart of Madrid. Nowadays the atmosphere is not quite as vibrant as it was in the square's heyday, although the mercantile spirit remains in the stalls selling tourist trinkets and refreshments to the passersby and loafers who spend their time people-watching in the plaza. One of the seemingly few places in Madrid that doesn't have traffic whizzing through it or is stiflingly crowded, Plaza Mayor is surprisingly rather quiet - and the perfect place to stop for a rest in between the frankly exhausting round of palaces and museums.

The Bernabeu Stadium is one of the world's greatest sporting venues. The home of Real Madrid, Europe's most successful and probably richest football club (the "Real" in their name isn't all for show) it is a remarkable piece of architecture, as admirable in its own way as the Royal Palace or any other of Madrid's most famous structures. Seating 80,000 people over four dizzyingly high and steep tiers, the ground is more enclosed than that of its great rivals Barcelona. A tour takes in the entirety of the stadium, from the dressing rooms, through the tunnel where the players run out on to the hallowed turf of the pitch, to the presidential box where the captains of Real have lifted trophy after trophy to the thunderous approval of the packed stadium. Real's trophy room is packed with the successes of decades - the team has lifted the European trophy more than any other on the continent. The tour is a real treat for football fans. Entrance for the tour is via Gate 40. Avda Santagio Bernabeu, Concha Espina 1. Open: daily, except days following home matches 10.30am - 6.30pm. Admission: EUR9, adults; EUR7, children.

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