 A weekend in Madrid wouldn’t be complete without a visit to at least one of the many art galleries it has to offer. Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, in the Atocha district, is the place to see some great Spanish contemporary art and pulls in the crowds with work by the likes of Picasso and Dalí, and it houses sculptures and modern media artwork such as photography and film as well as paintings. For lovers of more traditional works, the Palacio Real (Royal Palace) has opened its doors and has a good display of paintings by Rubens, Velázquez, Goya, El Greco and Caravaggio among others.
There are also Tiépolo frescos to see in the palace. Madrid of course is also famous for bullfighting, so for the not so fainthearted (and if you condone it) head to La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas. Or, for a slightly less bloodthirsty sport, head to see one of the world’s greatest football teams in action and catch a Real Madrid home game if you can. If your trip doesn’t coincide with the football season you can still take a tour around the Bernabéu stadium and visit the trophy room, and have a stroll on the pitch.
You can fly directly to Spain with Fly Monarch, who offers cheap flights to Spain, as well as flying to other Spanish destinations like Barcelona; the country’s capital may make a useful starting point for a Spanish trip. |
