Spain Travel: Madrid and Beyond

Spain Travel: Madrid and Beyond

The cities of Spain have as much to offer as its countryside. The culture and architecture bring tourists by the millions to the cities of Spain. Madrid is definitely worth a visit. Madrid is only now just realizing its tourist potential. With a bid for the 2012 Olympics, many are flocking to this Spanish Capital to see all it has to offer.

Madrid is a very busy place. It has all of the hustle and bustle of New York and Los Angeles. It also has some of Spain’s most beautiful architecture. The Plaza Mayor is worth a stroll through. Many of the office building are worth gazing at as they are done in the old style.

For those who love the Art Scene, Madrid can compete with the best. The famous Prado museum houses some of Spain’s greatest artists as well as other artists from around the world. The most famous work housed there is the famous Guernica wall painted by none other than Pablo Picasso. The scene tells the story of the vicious attack on the city during the Spanish Civil War. Madrid also offers the best bullfighting in Spain as well as flamenco shows that can compete with any city in the south.

Sports fans may want to check out the Real Madrid football stadium. If you’re lucky, you may even score tickets to a game.

The city of Madrid has so much to offer, but if you have time there are several day excursions out of the city that are worth a look. The city of Toledo lies just outside of the city and makes the perfect day out. Toledo was the capital of medieval Spain and was a place where Christians, Jewish and Muslims lived together in relative harmony.

The Palace of Felipe the second, the famous El Escorial is one of the most visited sited in Spain. It is within 30 minutes of Madrid’s city center and is easy to reach on public transport. While visiting the El Escorial, you may want to see the valley of the fallen. This is a monument erected in honor of those who died in the Spanish Civil War. Finally, a little further out of Madrid is the famous University of Salamanca. Many of Spain’s most famous authors studied there including Miguel de Cervantes.

Madrid is only now starting to draw the tourist’s in. this busy European capital has something to offer everyone. Once you have seen the entire city you can, try some of the excursions out. You’ll see what this Spanish Capital truly has to offer.