“Hay que disfrutar la vida!” – you have to enjoy life! – and Madrid is the right place to do it. From museums, entertainment, good food and culture, a perfect itinerary for exploring the international, cosmopolitan capital.
Madrid is a city of great vitality where enjoying life comes naturally: art, culture, gastronomy and green spaces will make a stay here unforgettable. A tour in careful discovery of a destination that is young and modern yet at the same time deeply connected to its traditions and history. The proud and patriotic Spanish and Madrileño people never miss an opportunity to wave their flag in every street, square and building, so much so that even tourists feel the urge to cry "Viva la Spagna!".
Madrid's cultural offering is excellent; whatever type of art you love, you will find what you are looking for in the city. 2019 is the right year to visit the Museo del Prado, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary of beauty and masterpieces. It is vast and you need more than half a day to see it all at a leisurely pace: arm yourself with the map and stroll around inside at your ease — it will be memorable. Our favourite rooms are those dedicated to the magnificent retablos, large altarpieces with many painted or sculpted compartments, typical of Spanish art. The one not insignificant downside is that photography is not permitted: for enthusiasts, a true disaster.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza is what a perfect museum should be: a well-presented, well-lit and well-structured compendium of world art. A truly enchanting place, full of world-famous masterpieces alongside small, precious gems that will fill you with joy as you admire them. Less well known, and therefore rarely overrun by tourists, it allows for a visit in complete tranquillity and perhaps even a pleasant break in its bistro, which is as good-looking as it is good. Among the thousands of canvases, our must-sees are the Hoppers (all of them) and an exceptional Friedrich — seek them out!
The Museo arqueológico nacional surprises on two counts: its modern layout (which you wouldn't expect from the outside) and the quantity and quality of the artefacts and works it houses. Even for those who are not experts in this area of art, the visit will be enjoyable and clear — indeed, it is a perfect way to learn a great deal, not only about archaeology but also about history. On your way in, don't forget to pick up the handy leaflet that provides descriptions and locations of the "must-not-miss" pieces. There are many other wonderful museums in the city, none of them disappointing: obviously the Reina Sofía — though be warned, it is labyrinthine and a little chaotic — where Picasso's Guernica is kept; the Real academia de bellas artes — the most classical of museums but with a fine collection nonetheless; the Fundación Mapfre cultura — for photography enthusiasts it stages excellent exhibitions and has an extensive permanent collection of Miró; and finally the interesting spaces of the Conde Duque, which house the Museo de arte contemporáneo.
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The skill with which the green areas of Madrid — at least those in the central zone — are tended is remarkable: after strolling and spending a few hours in Madrid's parks, your own will seem distinctly unappealing. The Parque de El Retiro in particular is a harmonious blend of exhibition spaces, a picture-postcard lake, various monuments, botanical corners… and much more, all in a truly magical atmosphere. Our favourite area is undoubtedly that of the artificial lake, where you can go out on a rowing boat — accessible to people in wheelchairs — and where there is also a monument dedicated to Alfonso XII, with a majestic colonnade that offers extraordinary views especially at sunset. Another highlight is the Palacio de Cristal, a fine imitation of London's Crystal Palace: a late-nineteenth-century structure of glass and metal, very striking, which now hosts art exhibitions but was originally conceived as a greenhouse. After a day spent exploring Madrid, a break here is a perfect moment. Among the park's greenery, look out for "el abuelo", the oldest tree in Madrid — a true institution!
Situated near the Royal Palace, the Jardines de Sabatini reach the height of their beauty in the evening: this is indeed one of the best spots in Madrid for watching dusk arrive. From the large rectangular pool at the centre of the garden, surrounded by fountains, trees and white marble sculptures, you can watch the reds and yellows of the sunset shift the tone of the Royal Palace's greyish stone, as the sun drops below the horizon of the Casa de Campo.
The religiosity of deeply Catholic Spain finds vivid expression in Madrid through its many churches and basilicas, some of which contain precious works of art. In our view, any tour of the city should include at least two unmissable wonders you absolutely must step inside: in the Basílica real de San Francisco el Grande, to see the best you need to look upward, towards the dome dedicated to the Virgin Mary — the largest in the country and the fourth largest in the world. Here, Goya painted himself in one of the chapels.
The Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida is a little out of the way, not in the centre, but it is well worth walking there to enjoy the dome entirely frescoed by Goya. The main subject is of course Saint Anthony, and the mastery of the work is unparalleled. The artist himself is also buried here, although when his remains were transferred from Bordeaux, his head was missing. Another curiosity is that on Saint Anthony's feast day, 13 June, unmarried women come here to ask for a fiancé. The sacred and the profane, in other words.
Even if the people of Madrid themselves are not particularly fond of it, the Cathedral is worth a visit, if only a brief one. Its crypt, however, deserves more time: the more contemplative atmosphere, the lighting, and above all the hundreds of columns — each different from the next — are sure to make an impression. One final, little-known tip: the church of San Antonio de los Alemanes, despite a rather anonymous façade, has an interior entirely covered in frescoes, painted in part by Italian artists. Not to be missed.
Savouring a country's traditional dishes is part of any journey, and in Spain it is perhaps essential. The culinary experience in Madrid is a perfect reflection of the city's style and mood: a place that offers a great deal and where no pleasure is denied. In its establishments (bodegas, cafés, restaurantes) you will find everything from everywhere in the world, but the advice is to focus on local cuisine and to do so in an alternative and somewhat savvy way. To that end, a tour of the city's covered markets could be just the thing: a famous and central one is San Miguel, which presents itself immaculately, clean and gleaming within its beautiful early-twentieth-century glass structure. The offering here is truly tempting — you will want to eat everything — but skip the mozzarella bars (we do that better ourselves) and focus instead on the croquetas (especially the bacalao ones), the Gilda