Get caught up in Madrid’s heady mix of food, tradition, sightseeing and fun on a wild weekend in the capital

The first thing you should do when you arrive in Madrid is take a good, long look at your hotel room, because in this 24-hour city, you’re unlikely to see it again for any length of time. Madrid never closes. There is always something to do and somewhere to see (or be seen). But unlike its more popular rival city Barcelona, you’ll never feel rushed, pushed or crushed. There’s always room for one more to join in the fun.

Any visit to the capital of Spain has to start at the very centre of the city - in fact, the very centre of Spain. Kilometre Zero, in Puerta del Sol, marks the spot from which all distances are measured. You can’t miss it - just look for the groups of Madrileños waiting to meet their friends there.
With the enticing smell from the nearby Mallorquina bakery and the giant Tio Pepe advertising figure standing atop one of the nearby buildings, Sol makes an attractive place to begin your wanderings. Street performers, buskers, locals and tourists all mingle together, giving the area a truly cosmopolitan feel – just count the different languages you’ll hear. 

Although the original “Gateway to the Sun” is no longer there, it is still a gateway to the old city, the Madrid of the Austrias, when Spain was part of the Hapsburg empire. It is here, west of Sol, up Calle Mayor, that you find one of the most impressive squares in the city – the Plaza Mayor.
Work on the Plaza Mayor began in 1590, under the reign of Felipe II – the bronze man on the rather rotund horse you can see in the middle of the square – with the impressive Casa de la Panadaría. This beautifully painted building, standing at the north of the square, was once the home of the breadmakers’ guild before becoming a palace – and sadly, the elaborate decoration only dates back 15 years or so. It was from these balconies that the royals would stand and watch the public proceedings in the square, including the grisly executions of the inquisition after the victims had been “interrogated” in a nearby basement (now underneath Moore’s Irish bar).

One word of advice - stop and have a drink at one of the attractive terrazas in the square but refrain from eating unless you have your credit card with you. There are much better - quality and value - just out of Plaza Mayor, past the shops selling Madrileño capes, sombreros and (hide the children’s eyes) sweets, in the oldest and most atmospheric area of Madrid: La Latina.

As you wind your way around La Latina’s twisty-turvy, atmospheric streets it’s hard to remember you’re in a European capital of almost 5 million people. The noise falls away to be replaced by the soft whisperings of the past. Around here you’ll find some of the best tapas bars in the city. Call in to El Almendro on Calle Almendro, where you can feast on delicious huevos rotos and roscas de carne. The best times to visit are May 15th and then August 15th, when the area comes alive with music and dancing for the fiestas of Saint Isidro and the Virgen de la Paloma respectively.

If you enjoy walking, Madrid is for you. Despite the efficient transport system - a ten-journey ticket costs just €6.70 and you can share it with other people - the small, compact city centre is easy to traverse by foot. One of the nicest areas to wander lies just north of Plaza Mayor, around Ópera and the Palacio Real. Everywhere you look, you are greeted by architectural, artistic and natural beauty.

Read the full story in our March 2008 issue.