You have probably already heard about the El Rastro flea market that happens on Sundays in the old-fashioned neighborhood of La Latina. It is actually a great traditional Sunday program, especially if extended with tapas and beers at one of the many bars on La Latina’s bygone cobbled sloped streets. They can get extremely crowded, with locals and visitors alike, but we still find flea markets… Read more »

When strolling around the beautiful Retiro Park in Madrid, take the opportunity to visit “Palacio de Cristal”. The iron and glass building used to be a greenhouse, with tropical plants coming from the Spanish colonies, notably the Philippines. Nowadays, it is used mainly for exhibitions curated by the renowned Reina Sofia Museum, so check the program beforehand. Whilst there, take a few moments to admire… Read more »

Located at the Villahermosa Palace, this museum is less famous than the Prado and the Reina Sofia museums, but in no way less fabulous. It is actually a very pleasant visit, since the smaller setting allows a more personal appreciation of the high quality masterpieces by Picasso, Van Gogh, Rubens and Caravaggio, amongst others, that are on display. Curators prepare special thematic exhbitions and you… Read more »

Located in the beautiful old railway station of Delicias, the Railway Museum holds one of the largest collection of locomotives and coaches in Europe. The exhibitions in the central hall take place on old train platforms and the ambience is quite alluring, with iron and glass structures representative of an industrial era, and the vivid green colors of the wagons. Our visit was made even… Read more »

Located just thirty minutes northeast of Madrid by train, Alcalá de Henares is famous for its illustrious son, Miguel de Cervantes, as well as its World Heritage medieval city center and its significance to Spanish history. The city’s wealth derived from its central position as the Catholic Kings’ stopover when heading south and it is said that some of Columbus’ meetings over the expeditions to… Read more »

We are often bemused when we hear travelers return from Madrid and miss a visit to Palacio de Cibeles. Located in front of the well-known Cibeles Fountain, this magnificent historical edifice once housed the Spanish Postal Service and was later renamed Palace of Communication. Its interiors are equally stunning, with a beautiful mix of old and modern architecture. The Palacio de Cibeles is nowadays the… Read more »