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About Madrid
Madrid is an interesting and unique city that combines the tipical characteristics of a big Europen city, southern customs, modern spirit, and historical values.
  
The capital of Spain is a city of great monuments of historical and humanistic value. It has a medieval center dating back to the Habsburg Empire, many museums such as Prado, Thyssen, and Reina Sofia. Besides being a cultural destination, it is also a lively metropolis with many discos, pubs, cafes, etc. open until late in the night. During the day it is the casual atmosphere of a big city. If you have free time there is a lot to do. You may want to start by going to Puerta del Sol, one of the busiest places where you can see all kinds of people. Or you may start with a walk in Retiro, the central park of Madrid, where you can simply chill out while enjoying nature or meet new interesting people. Later into the evening visit some of the cafes on Gran Via or the teraces on Castellana. In all cases you will find a beautiful and sunny city.
 
People in Madrid are friendly. If you step on someone's foot he usually says, "Excuse me." They are always ready to show you the way even if they are running late for work (also something tipically Spanish). They also have strange habits, like drinking half a bottle of wine for lunch or going out to party at 1 o'clock at night.
A great place to visit is the Santiago Bernabeu stadium where you will enjoy an exciting game of the "galacticos" and share exciting emotions with many people.
 
| Madrid is connected in itself through an abundant net of metro and busses, which allows you to travel to any part of the city in public transportation. But if you rather take a more direct route, you could just hop into a taxi. If you would like to get out of the city, but you are not necessarily looking to travel far, trains (cercanias) and busses are available; you could also take a train (AVE or RENFE) to any part of the country or even to Portugal and France or other parts of Europe (we have no trains going to the Canary Islands yet). But if you think that the road is too long, then just go to Barajas airport and fly to any point of the world. In the Madrid page you will find more info and links. |
Here are some quick facts
about the capital:
| Population: |
4.800.000 |
| Altitude: |
670 m above sea level |
| Distances: |
Barcelona: 621 km |
| Toledo: 71 km |
| Segovia: 87 km |
| Cuenca: 167 km |
| Valencia: 352 km |
| Sevilla: 462 km |
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Night life
There are many people who say that Madrid is Europe's capital of Night Life. This is almost certainly true. You should not be surprised if you find most of the apartments lights off at night. This is not because people are sleeping. In most cases they are out in bars, pubs, etc. At 4 a.m. you will probably find yourself stuck in a traffic jam. Everyone is is out, the party is at its peak!
Huertas
Between Puerta del Sol and Plaza de Santa Ana, in a street called Huertas, you will meet a lot of people. This area is ideal especially when you move around without having a car. It is a street of pubs and taverns, always welcoming newcomers for a free drink.
Moncloa - Ciudad Universitaria
Two more metro stations, and also if you are a student you may enjoy the spirit of Madrid's universitary quarter. It is full of young people always ready for fun.
Terraces
In hot summer-nights there is hardly something better than to have a drink in one of the many beautiful terraces, where you will find amounts of people until late in the night. In Paseo de la Castellana meet the beautiful people and some "pijos", a word hardly translatable into English. In Gran Via, on the other hand, you'll see different cultures that exists in Madrid, from middle-aged couples to vagabonds. 
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