European Vibe
news
10 January
Travel - Discover Madrid
Top 10 things to do in Madrid
Madrid is a magical city. Whilst it may lack a polished
focal point such as the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben, myriad other gems more than
make up for this. Madrid was jolted out of its rather comfy existence as a
sleepy Spanish pueblo with the arrival of Phillip II and the Spanish court in
1561, and, ever since, it has stood at the centre of Iberia, first as a symbol
of old Castile and now a sprawling twenty first century metropolis. Happily,
Madrid has managed to preserve its very own charm and character amongst the
buzzing evolutions of post-modern society.
The Golden Triangle of Art You have to have pretty odd artistic tastes if Madrid
doesn’t cater more than adequately for you. Museo del Prado is the undisputed
king, its walls dripping with some of the finest art in the world, from
Velázquez to Goya, Rafael to Rembrandt. However, the other two are more than
worth an afternoon’s attention. The Reina Sofía, which in many ways is the
Prado’s rebellious younger brother, is stuffed full of works from the more
recent Spanish masters Picasso and Dalí and the Thyssen collection is an
elegant balance between the two. [...]
