# REASONS TO GO TO MADRID, SPAIN



## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

You could shop in places Parisians put at their top of their lists. Or you could party as hard and as late as you’ve never done it before in clubs so cool and sexy they make New Yorkers blush. Or you could visit museums that Romans and Londoners never miss, featuring kilometers of the best art in the Western world. 

Or, if you’re like me, you could spend a whole vacation looking at pretty buildings and taking lots of photos of them! 

First stop, an obvious one… Madrid’s Royal Palace!


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Nice pictures from Madrid. I was there some weeks ago, it was even more exciting and beautiful then I expected. The architecture, the museums and the nightlife is in a class of its own. But mostly the city center is nice, the outskirts are filled with commie blocks. The weather was really good for february 15-20 degrees and sun all the time.


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## ExcellentALWAYS (Apr 18, 2009)

Excited to see more pics!!


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## kingsway (Dec 15, 2009)

lovely photos and great details.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Awesome, very nice photos from Madrid :cheers: simply awesome...


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## Deanb (Jun 7, 2006)

madrid city center is truly amazing


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## KamZolt (Oct 22, 2010)

Nice set of pictures. Madrid is such a majestic city!


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## hfocacci (Mar 10, 2011)

Waiting for more... Marvellous city!


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## Travis007 (Jul 19, 2004)

I'm booking my plane ticket right now!


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Another reason to go to Madrid are its majestic central avenues, a showcase of over-the-top official grandeur. Here are images taken along Alcalá Street. A walk down this grand, wide street will take you through the Alcalá Arch, the Bank of Spain, the Communications Palace, the Cervantes Instutitute (promoting Spanish language and culture throughout the world), the House of the Americas, and other beautiful structures. 






























































































































































Good place for a pit stop, the Harina café, overlooking the Alcalá Gate (Arch)
















































































































































































































Especially worth visiting is the Fine Arts Circle cultural centre. 
































































Although most people stop by "The Circle" for the views from the top!


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## serfin (May 21, 2007)

wow, i love the madrid's building details, awesome pics. Good job.


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## Deanb (Jun 7, 2006)

splendid! a beautiful capital city


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## madridhere (Oct 10, 2005)

Aljuarez, you´ve got an eye for detail that nobody has.

Thanks for so good pictures!


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## JAVICUENCA (Dec 27, 2004)

Thanks so much for such good pictures.

Please Al with that quality we deserve some more. 

They´re IN-CRE-DI-BLE.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Moving along... we continue down Alcalá Street. Gorgeous buildings all the way!















































































































































































































































































Some leftover pics of the Circulo de Bellas Artes building...


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## JAVICUENCA (Dec 27, 2004)

What camera do you have?

Incredible pictures !!!!!!!!


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## Deanb (Jun 7, 2006)

possibly one of the most good-looking capitals in europe!


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## RobertWalpole (Mar 16, 2010)

Madrid and Barcelona are among the ten best cities in the world in my opinion.


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## spongeg (May 1, 2006)

nice pics - you should try some vertical shots though


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

I know... I should also include more actual human beings! :lol:


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## Koobideh (Jun 27, 2009)

Beautiful! And Spanish architecture is so grand.


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## Guest (May 27, 2011)

No reasons needed, it is gorgeous and so are the pics


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## serfin (May 21, 2007)

Gorgeous, you're an artist. And about Madrid, what can i say? it's my city and to me it's wonder and loved. Thank you for your job.


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## madridhere (Oct 10, 2005)

You´ve got an incredible eye and it seems a very good camera, Aljuarez.

Thanks very much for your pictures.

Keep them coming...


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## DarkLite (Dec 31, 2004)

Wonderful panoramic photos, best ones I've seen of Madrid


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## SO143 (Feb 11, 2011)

Jaw-dropping pictures of Madrid, i wanan visit there so desperately ... is 3 days well enough to explore main attractions that this city offers? cheers :cheers2:


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## JAVICUENCA (Dec 27, 2004)

With three days you could see many things, but of course if you stay more you have still a lot of things to see...

Three days is good at least to start, yes.


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## aquablue (Mar 18, 2006)

The architecture of Madrid doesn't look as impressive when you use google street view. There are so many bland apartment blocks in the city even in the rich zones like Salamaca, same with Barcelona once outside of the small center. Only in the immediate center does the uninterrupted beautiful urban fabric reign. Once outside of that small area, you see plenty of boring buildings everywhere and the urban fabric becomes disjointed and dull. Not to say that it isn't a great city, but these photos don't tell the whole story. In fact, i was most dissapointed with Barceona also. Five or so streets ouside of the beautiful main avenue where all the Gaudi stuff is, the buildings all turned into 1950-1980 style apartments with no character at all. The myth that these cities are all rows of beautiful pre-war buildings that go on for miles and miles and cover most of the central city, is just that, a myth created by hype and tourist offices. Beauty is skin deep. The ony large world cities that have such a large area of beautiful buildings that are unblemished by post-war apartmetns are Paris, Prague and Rome (although outside the preserved centers are plenty of ugly suburbs). 

Anyway, the center of Madrid is very nice and is close to Barcelona in beauty.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

All large cities have an ugly side to them, but calling it skin-deep may be a bit of an overstatement. The nice areas in either of these cities could keep you busy for weeks. No need to bore your eyes with eyesores! :lol:


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## DrStrangelove (Aug 14, 2009)

As I live in Barcelona (but also like Madrid) have to say aquablue is right and is not at the same time. Madrid has not only the big magnificent avenues, but also older places such as the Austrias neighbourhood (named after the dinasty). The same in Barcelona, it is not only the central Eixample with its XIX and early XX buildings, it has also the old town with its medieval buildings (Gotic, Born) and other spots like Gracia that are also nice. Both have, of course, their dull areas, but the nice parts are not so small and isolated!


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Going back to what Aquablu was saying... it occurs to me another key element: density. Although it is true that large areas of Madrid are dull, the same could be said of just about any newer areas anywhere. What is cool about central Madrid is its amazing density. A single neighbourhood can take days to explore! 

Moving on here.. images of La Gran Vía, which last year celebrated its centenary. One of the most magnificent avenues in the world!








































































































































The views from the uppermost floor of the Corte Inglés department store on Gran Vía has great views too





































More nice buildings...along Gran Vía


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## artoor (Oct 17, 2003)

What Aquablue said is true for most European cities considered beautiful. Thou Paris, Rome or Prague have bigger areas not spoiled by the post-war development, all of them got repulsive circles around historical areas. Same with London, Berlin, Stockholm, Vienna, Budapest, Cracow. It boils down to one conclusion: post-war architecture and urbanism is a general failure and no singular masterpieces can change that. People wouldn't care less to visit European cities if not for their up to 1939 heritage.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Oh, well...
Closing on the very centre of the city, now.









































































Arriving now at the Plaza del Sol, site of important "Indignados" protests and favourite meeting place



























































































Let's retrace our steps a bit to take a closer look at Madrid's cathedral. It is apparently rather unloved by locals, but I rather liked it!













































































































Some views taken from base of the cathedral's dome
































































And some random shots of places, including Plaza de Oriente, right next to the Royal Palace


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## Kaetzar (Jun 30, 2009)

^^ GREAT PICS !!!


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## balthazar (Jul 19, 2007)

WOW


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

As usual, Madrid looks really great....thanks for the pics.:cheers2:


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

some　leftover pics from Gran Via...























































now let us look at the salamanca district, one of the stylish shopping areas in europe. not too exciting or interesting, but the air of dignified affluence make for a pleasant stroll...


































































































the sight of the very well dressed residents is complemented by the very well dressed financial workers of the adjacent castellana area. 










more of salamanca...


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## madonnagirl (Aug 7, 2011)

nice city and it's really enticing to go and see this in person.


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

awesome, really nice photos from Madrid....:cheers:


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Let's now go back to one of the main reasons to visit the Spanish capital, the old core, called the City of the "Austrias," in reference to the Habsburg monarchs under whose reign the city was expanded as result of the establishment of the royal court in 1561. Some of the narrow streets still loosely follow the original medieval pattern. 

The core of old Madrid, Plaza Mayor, finished in 1619, with a stuatue of King Philip III. 




































































































Some of the buildings in the beautiful, surrounding streets

















































































































































The San Miguel market, finished in 1916, has a beatiful cast iron structure, modelled after the markets of Paris. However, the site was a marketplace for centuries before that. Recently refurbished, it is now rather upmarket, and focused on higher-end products.










































































Another highlight in Old Madrid is the Plaza de la Villa, already a square in medieval times and home to some of the oldest buildings in the city. The statue here is of Álvaro de Bazán, hero of many sea battles in the 16th Century. 




























If you visit a single museum during your visit to Spain, that one museum should probably be the Museo del Prado. Paintings by Goya, Velázquez, Murillo, El Greco... and that's just the locals! (although El Greco was of course greek)


















































































The area to the side of the museum is quite elegant, and includes the Ritz hotel and the Church of Los Jerónimos, a favorite of the royalty. The sculpture below is of María Cristina de Borbón, Queen of Spain in the 19th Century. 













































































































The region of central Spain where Madrid sits is fairly high and dry so temperatures can be quite high. Which is why a visit to several large parks is almost a need. Among the prettiest, is the Retiro Park. Here are the formal gardens overlooking the Del Prado museum.


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## serfin (May 21, 2007)

wonder pics!!! well done kay:


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## yubnub (May 3, 2010)

great pics, in particular the ones of the skyline are very cool.


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

thanks for the great updates...kay:


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## aarhusforever (Jun 15, 2010)

So many cool and amazing photos of one of the most beautiful cities in the world...THANK YOU, aljuarez :cheers:


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## Koobideh (Jun 27, 2009)

Spain has some of the best looking cities in the world, seriously.


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## JAVICUENCA (Dec 27, 2004)

aljuarez said:


> Let's now go back to one of the main reasons to visit the Spanish capital, the old core, called the City of the "Austrias," in reference to the Habsburg monarchs under whose reign the city was expanded as result of the establishment of the royal court in 1561. Some of the narrow streets still loosely follow the original medieval pattern.
> 
> The core of old Madrid, Plaza Mayor, finished in 1619, with a stuatue of King Philip III.
> 
> ...


I´m simply impressed for these pictures and the rest even after having been in those places thousands of times.

Thanks so much my friend!!!!


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## danmartin1985 (Mar 5, 2012)

everything's nice.....one of world's great cities.


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## midrise (Feb 17, 2012)

the ONE and ONLY....... Madrid.........Ola:cheers1:


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## 009 (Nov 28, 2007)

awesome pics


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

More of the beautiful Spanish capital! Visit Spain! Support Spain! Not just because they need it, but because it's so totally worth it! :banana:

Another very good reason to visit this European capital is the abundance of beautiful squares. Even the relatively modern ones, like this one, the Plaza de España are more than worth a look!














































Random images of places we've seen here before: The Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel, Calle de Alcalá, Gran Vía and the Castellana Boulevard.













































































































Now, as the capital of the largest Catholic-led empire ever, Madrid has a lot of churches. 

In the La Latina area, this pretty temple, San Andrés, is one of the oldest in town, although it was largery reconstructed after a fire. Some of the photos were taken in the immediate vecinity of the church




































































































This one, San Francisco el Grande, was finished in the 18th Century to include the third largest dome in the Western world (only St Peter's and the Pantheon, both in Rome, are larger! And yep, it's larger than St Paul's in London, the Panthéon in Paris or even St. Sophia in Istambul) The huge dome, not very visible from the outside, comes as a shock if you weren't expecting it. Notice how really the whole church is a dome, only it starts from a pretty low point. Photography is not permited inside, unfortunately. 























































Not sure which one the spiky towers are. The high dome is the Almudena Cathedral. 














































The San Miguel Basilica, in spite of its small size, and the fact that it lacks even a small square out front, is one of the most important churches in town. It's the church of the Archbishop's palace and site of the Nunciature (Vatican Embassy). The baroque structure was finished in the 16th century. On a darker note (to me at least), the church is managed by the Opus Dei, probably the most reactioanary, backwards, and power-thirsty congretation in the contemporary Catholic church!





































































































This pretty sloping square is the Plaza de la Paja (Hay Square), which in medieval times was the city's foremost commercial point. Today, it's a pretty, leafy and peaceful spot, where you can sip a coffee al fresco. The Vargas Palace, overlooking the square, was originally built in the 16th Century. 
























































Finally, more images of cute narrow streets and little squares in old, central Madrid. The symbol with bear and the elm tree is Madrid's official coat of arms. Cute! 










































































When this contemporary art museum, the Caixa Forum, was finished, its vertical garden was the world largest. This is it from the inside.























































Out the medieval, narrow streets and back to monumental Madrid... City Hall, Communications Palace and and the Americas House, all along the Del Prado Boulevard






















































































































































































The Chamber of Deputies, or lower house of Parliament. Not exactly loved right now! The statue out front is of Miguel de Cervantes, one of the most prominent writers in the Spanish language and world literature. 
































































Finally, Madrid's monumental main train station, Atocha


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## wapo5050 (Jun 28, 2008)

Very good reasons to go to Madrid!


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## midrise (Feb 17, 2012)

mg:..With all the money from the glory days of Spains world empire, they built a regal showplace/capital......... True eyecandy...... with all the detail and adornment. This city, Spains capital, was located in the center of the country, easily reached by all countryman.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2012)

Just wow - fantastic work. Have an awesome weekend.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Edit.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

More reasons to visit the Spanish capital! Parks and gardens! 
For a city ocated in a high and dry plateau in the middle of the Iberian peninsula, gardens and parks are a real need. Plus, some of those parks and gardens are designed to go with palaces and can be quite ornate. 

This are images from the Retiro Park and immediate area. The crystal palace hosts contemporary art exhibits.




























Right North of the Gran Vía, some of the most interesting sections of the city.


























Restaurants and cafés, mostly in the trendy and gay Chueca area.






















The AZCA area, on the northern stretch of the Castellana boulevard, is a purpose-built financial district. Not much to look at. But the farther South you go (towards the centre of town) the prettier it gets. The Boulevard includes pretty shaded areas and sculpture.
































We've mentioned this before, but a main reason to go to Madrid is art. Some of the best museums in the world!
These are images of the wonderful Queen Sofia Art Center, with its modern annex and the old section with its quiet, shaded courtyard.




























































More pictures from Gran Vía, the city's grandest street


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## Kaetzar (Jun 30, 2009)

^^ Wonderful pics! amazing images, Thanks!


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

Very nice shots.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Spain has apparently hit bottom, financially, and may already be getting itself out of trouble, finally! :banana:
But as we know,it's the rich who suffer the least during a financial crisis. If you want to see them in Madrid, especially shopping, go to the Salamanca district. 
It's actually not intimidating. It's a fun place with lots of pedestrian traffic and some good places for a quick bite. 





















Walking back towards the Christopher Columbus monument you will see plently of architectural highlights, including the Supreme Court and the National Library.





















































finally, some odds and ends from central Madrid.


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## Bristol Mike (Aug 5, 2007)

Beautiful showcase of Madrid aljuarez. I have fond memories of this great city.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Finally made it back to the Spanish capital!

The Madrid City Museum of History is one of the world's best civic museums, and it hardly could be any different, considering the transformations these town has gone through. From the dusty backwater it was back when the court moved in (it's still officially a "villa", a village) to the imperial capital it became, to the modern metropolis. 





















Nearby, the Barceló complex includes a market, library, restaurants, shops and sports facilities in a sleek facility that has brought new life to the area. It was pouring and chilly when I went, though. Not much to see! :lol:







North and West of here, Olavide square and neighboring areas offer a glimpse into middle-class Madrid life in a dense, central area. 













Madrid's small museums are one of the city's joys. Small and beautiful, they offer insights into what has made the capital of the Spanish-speaking world tick. This is the museum of romanticism, a time that was especially fruitful for Spanish literature and its intellectual development, in both revolutionary and reactionary expression. 













The Malasaña district was a rough-and-tuble area ages ago (the name means "Mean Spirits"), but it's today one of the most gentrified and coveted in town. Its locales are among the city's trendiest. 





























Sights are few and far between in Malasaña, but if you see this church open, step in for the spectacular, round frescoed interior. Saint Anthony of the Germans, built in the Seventeenth Century. 















More of Malasaña 









Glimpses of La Gran Vía, one of the flagship thoroughfares...









Another flagship thoroughfare is the Castellana Paseo (boulevard). The leafy stretch joins the Central area with the North, changing its name several times. Its roundabouts and spectacular fountains make this one of the world's great avenues. The monuments become more modern as you move North, and once outside the central area, you'll be surrounded by modern, commercial buildings. This section, along the upmarket Salamanca district, includes some interesting architectural contrasts. 

















Salamanca itself, is the city's premier shopping area. The usual high-end suspects have shops here, but so do many of the local, traditional houses. Just step off Serrano Street and get lost in the classy, friendly and seldom intimidating 'hood!

















Salamanca is not only about shopping and the good life. This is also one of the city's business districts, and midrise, modern office buildings share blocks with the beautiful buildings housing the sprawling apartments with their pretty balconies. There are Embassies and government agencies. And a few museums! This is the Lazaro Galdiano museum, housing the art collection formed by the publishing magnate of the same name in his former residence. 







More shops, this time in the Salesas district.


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