Madrid

Why Madrid works

Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art — the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, all within walking distance along the Paseo del Prado — houses Velazquez's Las Meninas, Goya's darkest 'Black Paintings,' and Picasso's Guernica, giving the city one of the world's densest concentrations of European masterpieces. Plaza Mayor, a grand 17th-century arcaded square built under Philip III, has hosted markets, bullfights and royal ceremonies over four centuries and remains the city's ceremonial heart, ringed by cafes and frescoed facades. The Royal Palace, Europe's largest by floor area though used only for state functions, holds over 3,000 rooms and a armoury of royal weapons. Madrid's tapas culture is best experienced in La Latina, where Calle Cava Baja's bars serve small plates alongside vermouth on tap, and in Mercado de San Miguel, a restored glass-and-iron market hall turned gourmet food court. The Retiro Park's boating lake and rose gardens offer a green break from the city centre, while Gran Via, Madrid's answer to Broadway, mixes early-20th-century architecture with theatres and shopping. Unlike many European capitals, Madrid keeps late hours by default — dinner rarely starts before 9pm, and the city's nightlife runs well past 3am even midweek.

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