| Madrid may have been full of life by 1200 A.D. but it | | | | Spanish art, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina |
| was not until 1979 that the capital city of Spain held | | | | Sofia is a crucial visit. Once you have managed to |
| its first free and democratic elections. The | | | | overcome the awe of Picasso's Guernica, make sure |
| tumultuous tribulations of the 20th century have left | | | | to explore the fascinating world of Spanish |
| a distinct flavor about the art, attitude and culture in | | | | photography, sculpture and film along with an |
| Madrid. Visitors will find a thriving and exuberant local | | | | incredible collection of Kandinsky, Miró and |
| population proud and eager to share its resilient, if not | | | | DalÃ. Finally, take a journey through royal Madrid |
| neglected, history with the world. | | | | at the Palacio Real. The 2800-room palace is no |
| The modern heart and soul of Spain is central to the | | | | longer inhabited by the royal family, but the walls are |
| entire Iberian Peninsula, making Madrid the ideal place | | | | lined with elaborate frescos and original artwork by |
| to initiate your Spanish adventure. Madrid is also rich | | | | the likes of El Greco and Goya. Stop by the two |
| with Moorish heritage as it was a contentious | | | | beautiful gardens and get your fix of ancient |
| battleground between the Islamic and Christian | | | | apothecary remedies in the Farmacia Real. |
| Empires for much of the modern era. A stroll through | | | | Madrid in Present Tense |
| Barrio de la MorerÃa (Moorish Quarter) invokes | | | | In Madrid it is easy to leave history behind and |
| an essence of Medieval Madrid through ornate Islamic | | | | become immersed in the boisterous blooming lifestyle |
| architecture and hidden plazas. The art and | | | | that fills the streets. The pulse of Madrid's beating |
| architecture of Madrid also speaks of the temporary | | | | heart can be found in the Plaza Mayor, the town |
| but influential Habsburg and Bourbon Rules. | | | | square built in 1619 by Juan Gómez de Mora. |
| Museum Hop 'Til You Drop | | | | Although it's unlikely you'll be able to throw stones at |
| Madrid is the internationally celebrated home of | | | | heretics here anymore, console yourself with an |
| Spain's most prominent art collections. The Museo del | | | | alfresco drink and pastry at one of the many cafes. |
| Prado houses the world's largest and most prized | | | | For the resilient shopper, do not miss the Sunday |
| collection featuring over 8,600 master works by | | | | Rastro flea market along the Calle de la Ribera de |
| Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Ribera, Raphael, | | | | Curtidos, where bargain hunters and pack-rats alike |
| Botticelli, Fra Angélico, and Rembrandt, to name | | | | will be in seventh heaven. |
| a few. Since 1819, the collection has been moved | | | | Travel to Madrid for the perfect beginning to your |
| twice - during the Spanish Civil War and WWII - and | | | | Spanish vacation. Many captivating destinations lie just |
| has sustained immaculate condition. The Prado is also | | | | beyond the city, including the world heritage town of |
| a work of art in its own right, designed by famed | | | | Alcala de Henares, the royal Aranjuez and the |
| 18th century architect Juan de Villanueva. For the | | | | picturesque mountain town of Manzanares El Real. |
| grandeur and curious intricacies of contemporary | | | | |