Madrid Travel and Tourism Guide

Madrid is the capital of Spain, established as such by King Philip II in 1561 for its location in the exact center of the country. Although it was just a fortified village when it became the seat of Philip's global empire, today it is home to several million people, three of the world's greatest museums, and an incredible nightlife.

A young city by European standards, Madrid lacks world-famous historic monuments, but nearby towns like Avila, Segovia, and Toledo more than make up for it. More recently, Madrid has been featured in the films of Pedro Almodovar, when it was the center of the "movida," the social and cultural renaissance that took place here during Spain's first decade of democracy. It is also one of the world's great cities for museums, with the Prado, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Reina Sofia all being at the top of their fields.

Lovers of architecture are best off in Madrid's banking district, not far from the central station. The buildings are beautiful and in the hot summers (with temps up to 45 or 50 degrees Celsius in the shade) one can walk from fountain to fountain.