Description: As a tourist destination, Madrid is filled with fascinating areas to explore. There are the wide, gracefully tree lined major avenues and boulevards, the trendy and cosmopolitan buildings, and, in contrast, the old areas that twist and wind with quaint streets and cozy cafes. Together, these combine to provide many days of discovery of the treasured past and the exciting present of Madrid.
Madrid is located in the center of the Iberian Peninsula and has served as the capital of Spain since 1562. Its southern and elevated location allows for warm, dry summers and cool winters, providing excellent traveling weather all year round.
One cannot help but notice a prominent green expanse on the map of Madrid. Parque Del Retiro is more than a nature walk. In fact, many visitors return several times during their stay for the wide variety of entertainment provided by street performers, boaters, skaters, and puppeteers.
The city offers many interesting museums, with the world-famous Prado National Museum leading the way. Housed in an 18th-century building, the Prado features the works of Rubens, Goya, El Greco, Bosch, Velazquez, Titian and many others. Madrid’s most famous contemporary art museum is the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Its centerpiece is Picasso’s enormous antiwar masterpiece, Guernica. The highly acclaimed works of the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection are displayed at the Villahermosa Palace.