Like most European capital cities, Madrid is a city where you can find just about anything for your shopping needs. However, for those not familiar with the Spanish capital it can be a mission to meet your specific shopping tastes.  Whether it’s haute couture or boutique chic, Madrid has it!   For those of you with exclusive tastes, the Barrio de Salamanca around Serrano Street is for you. Here you’ll find shops from the best designers, from Chanel and Dior to Prada, Gucci and much …More

Looking for the right hotel to meet both your needs and budget can sometimes be daunting. Are you looking to stay in the best five star hotels that provide the height of luxury or does your budget mean you’re looking for a cheap one star or youth hostel that which is, preferably, free of cockroaches? The advantage of staying in a city like Madrid is that there is something for everyone and every wallet capacity. If it’s luxury and class you’re looking for, the city has its fair share of great …More

Madrid is a large city with numerous galleries, sites to see, and a bar for every ten people and seems too large to do in just a couple of days. However, even on a short visit, you can make the most of what this lively city has to offer—live the Madrileñan life, as well as sightsee.     Old and Bourbon Madrid are the main areas of the city, and you can split your two-day itinerary up easily between these two. If you want to get the most out of your short two-day visit, find a central …More

A city like Madrid has something to offer for everyone, whether you’re looking to revel in the best that money can buy, or experience the authentic spirit of the city on a shoestring. Madrid is one of the cheaper European capitals, and it’s easy to sightsee, enjoy its world-class museums and maybe even take in a concert or two for free. Madrid is famed for its “Golden Art Triangle,” with the famous art museums of the Prado and the Reina Sofia punctuated each end of the Paseo del Prado, and …More

The glorious cafés from Spain’s literary history are often overlooked in favor of its European neighbors, such as the famed cafés on Paris’s Left Bank or the decadent coffee houses of Vienna. However, Madrid’s grand literary cafés were once, and still are, the pulsing heart of “tertulias,” literary discussions and gatherings, where artists and writers would convene to share ideas and creations over drinks. These cafés play an iconic role in Spanish …More

Although it is one of the oldest markets in Europe, the Rastro knows how to keep up with the times. Spain’s most famous outdoor market is listed as a “must-see” in all of the guidebooks, but it’s more than just a shopping experience —this is Madrid. The Rastro is set on a sloping hillside in the La Latina neighborhood, which on an ordinary weekday is a sleepy residential area; where old houses line the streets with flaking façades of tawny and grey, punctuated with small, …More

From the outside, the building on Calle de Balmes that houses both the Beth Yaacov Synagogue and the cultural centre associated with the “Comunidad Judía de Madrid (CJM),” the Jewish Community of Madrid, doesn’t look like much. While this grey, concrete structure resembles a car park rather than a synagogue, do not be deceived by its dour 1960s exterior; the Beth Yaacov Synagogue and the CJM are the cornerstones of Jewish life and culture in Madrid and beyond. Built in 1968, the Beth …More

Glorious Madrid is one of the planet’s preeminent repositories of priceless art boasting celebrated museums that showcase singular achievements in a range of creative human expression throughout recorded history.  Within its Golden Triangle of Art, you can explore the Spanish capital’s three most important museums—the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza, home to many of the world’s masterpieces, without ever leaving the city center.   The Prado Museum, …More

  As an art form, flamenco is as uniquely Spanish as the controversial art of bullfighting; only neither animals nor matadors are hurt in this production. With its roots in Andalucía, the passionate art of flamenco arose from the gypsies in Southern Spain—from the caves of Granada to the cellars of Seville. However, the Spanish capital of Madrid is the central hub and melting pot of the country’s culture, so you’ll find flamenco is alive and tapping in the bars and …More

Navigating Madrid’s bustling center, it can be easy to miss the old world charm amidst the thick crowds of travelers and chain eateries. Sure, the city’s manic Plaza del Sol and classic Plaza Real are worth visiting, but for something a bit more low-key and locally delicious, one needs only take a short walk, or shorter metro ride to the south to Barrio La Latina. Situated just outside the city’s ancient walls, Madrid’s oldest neighborhood, La Latina provides the sort of maze-like …More

In a city with a seemingly endless supply of bars, clubs and assorted locales to sit down for an ice-cold glass of beer or local wine, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. Avoiding drink specials, street barkers and blazing neon, a few bars have taken to the rooftops, offering drink and tapas menus with an added benefit of Madrid’s varied skyline. Situated on high points throughout the capital’s sprawling streets, Madrid’s rooftop bars provide the ideal way to end a day of exploring …More

The Spanish celebrate a lot of holidays and festivals, and sometimes living in Spain you become over saturated by them.  While the majority of holiday days are related to one Catholic saint or another, Madrid as a city holds a wide variety of cultural festivals, whether their focus is on the arts, food or even on an individual neighborhood, the chances are you can find something to cater to your interests—even when you’re not a Catholic.  Madrid hosts two major art festivals, such as the …More