Madrid

Madrid: Art, Tapas & Unhurried Living

Madrid is a city that lives at its own pace. Here dinners start at ten at night, strolls through El Retiro are sacred, and conversations at a tapas bar can last hours. The Spanish capital combines world-class artistic heritage — home to the Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen — with a gastronomic and nightlife scene that is the envy of Europe.

💡 Fun Facts & History

• 💡Madrid is the highest capital in the European Union at 650 meters above sea level. This gives it clear skies and more sunny days per year than most European capitals.
• 💡Madrid's Art Triangle (Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen) holds one of the world's greatest art collections in less than a kilometer. Picasso's Guernica is in the Reina Sofía.
• 💡According to legend, tapas were born when King Alfonso X of Castile ordered small bites to be served with wine to "cover" the glasses and prevent flies from entering.
• 💡Madrid's Royal Palace has 3,418 rooms, more than double Buckingham Palace. It is the largest royal palace in Western Europe, although the royal family no longer lives there.
• 💡Mercado de San Miguel, built in 1916, was one of Madrid's first iron markets. Today it is a gastronomic temple with over 30 gourmet stalls.
• 💡Madrileños dine later than almost any city in the world: 10 PM is a normal dinner time. Restaurants don't fill up until 9:30 PM and nightlife starts after midnight.