Madrid is the capital and most populous city of Spain. Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian …
Let’s visit madrid the capital of spain and the second largest city in the european union this is world travel guide and in this video you will go on a madrid sightseeing tour but also learn interesting facts about the city and its history
Madrid lies on the river manzanares in the central part of the iberian peninsula it is the capital and most populous city of spain the madrid metropolitan area has a population of 6.7 million madrid is a modern metropolitan city and an economical and industrial center of spain
The city has traditionally been the connecting point between all parts of the country madrid has a wide variation of attractions from great monuments in classic and modern museums to big flea markets and international concerts for art lovers madrid is a fascinating place
You can find some of the most famous collections of spanish artists such as goya picasso and dali the first historical record of madrid dates back to the year 865 when emir muhammad commissioned the construction of a fortress in the village of mayrit on the banks of the river manzanares
Madrid belonged to the islamic world until 1083 when alfonso vi of castile took over the city in 1329 king fernando v assembled the famed court of madrid for the first time ever this preceded one of the darker periods in spanish history the spanish inquisition in the 14th and
15th century in the wake of the reconquista moors and jews banded together and formed a concentrated population in madrid named moreira to this day the city continued to grow over the centuries and in 1561 the decision was taken to move the court from toledo to madrid in fact it did briefly
Move again to valladolid in 1601 but five years later it returned to madrid this time to stay madrid played a key role in spain’s turbulent history of the 19th and 20th century in 1808 the city rose up against french occupation in a revolt which resulted in much bloodshed in
Effect this was the start of the spanish war of independence the city’s dramatic history continued in the 20th century it was after the death of general franco as part of the spanish constitution finalized in 1978 that madrid was finally confirmed as the capital city of spain
1979 saw the first democratic local elections in madrid through which the first city mayor was chosen and elected since this time madrid has made incredible progress and is now considered to be one of the most dynamic and progressive of europe’s cities
The royal palace of madrid is the official residence of the spanish royal family although now used only for state ceremonies the palace has 135 000 square meters of floor space and contains 3418 rooms built in 1755 it is the largest functioning royal palace and the largest
By floor area in europe the palace is now open to the public except during state functions although it is so large that only a selection of rooms are on the visitor route at any time the route being
Changed every few months an admission fee of €13 is charged however at some times it is free the plaza mayor is a major public space in the heart of madrid it was once the center of old madrid and was first built during the reign of philip iii
Its history dates back to the 15th century where it was used as the main market of the town today the plaza mayor is rectangular in shape and highlights the uniformity of the architecture to enter or exit the plaza there are 10 entrances to choose from however there are nine gates it is the
Location of the annual christmas market and has also hosted bull fights and football games every sunday and holidays it hosts stamp collecting and coin collecting market in the mornings santiago bernabeu is a famous football stadium in madrid with a current seating capacity of
81 000 it has been the home stadium of real madrid since its completion in 1947. it is the second largest stadium in spain and was named after a footballer and former real madrid president santiago bernabeu the stadium is one of the world’s most famous football venues and
Is open for visitors every day of the week on the stadium tour you can explore the history of real madrid in the bernabeu stadium museum and get access to exclusive areas the prado museum officially known as museo nacional del prado is the main spanish
National art museum located in central madrid it is widely considered to house one of the world’s finest collections of european art dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century based on the former spanish royal collection and the single best collection of spanish art
Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819 it also contains important collections of other types of works the prado museum is one of the most visited sites in the world and is considered one of the greatest art museums in the world the numerous works by francisco
Goya the single most extensively represented artist as well as by hieronymus bosch el greco peter paul rubens and diego velazquez are some of the highlights of the collection the temple of debod is an ancient egyptian temple that was dismantled and rebuilt in
The center of madrid a gift from egypt in thanks for spain’s help in saving the abu simbel temples during the building of the aswan dam the debod temple was brought to madrid in 1968 the temple was built for king adikhalamani in the second century bc well-preserved original
Decorations are found inside the temple which is rare for an archaeological site peaceful gardens surrounding the monument feature reflective pools and a fountain puerta del sol is one of the most renowned central squares in madrid a meeting point both for tourists and locals and home to several of the city’s landmarks
The plaza was built in different stages during the 15th century puerta del sol was originally one of the gates of the city wall during the 20th century the fountain was placed in the center of the square and part of it was pedestrianized
Several important historical events have taken place in puerta del sol such as the proclamation of the second republic in 1931 and recently in 2011 a vast demonstration for spanish democracy covering over 125 hectares and comprising more than fifteen thousand trees el retiro park is a green oasis in the heart of madrid
Here you will find all kinds of interesting monuments and gardens in addition to its role as one of the city’s green lungs it is also a popular spot among locals who like to go there for a stroll to do some sport visit an exhibition or take the kids to a puppet show
The park is home to a large artificial lake where you can rent a rowing boat and to the velazquez palace and glass palace which are both currently used as exhibition halls by the reina sofia museum
Spring and fall are ideal times to visit madrid may and october are the best months in terms of weather and crowds august is the month when madrid is traditionally at its most peaceful as many of its inhabitants have escaped to the mountains or are sunning themselves on mediterranean coasts
About 75% of the city’s restaurants and shops also go on holidays and close for the month though visitors usually find enough for their needs visiting madrid during the summer can be tricky because the oven-like mid-summer heat can sometimes reach afternoon maximums of 40°C
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