Madrid
Political and party HQ of Spain, Madrid serves up nightlife like no other city in the country - or, for that matter, the planet. Madrile'os are an enormously gregarious bunch, overflowing with exuberance and seemingly bred not to require any sleep.
If you can't beat them, join them, is the motto to abide by here: not throwing yourself into the nightly revelries among the cafes, tapas bars, pubs and dance clubs will only mean waking up well into the small hours of the morning to the hum of their sky-high spirits thronging the streets below. Festivity is what Madrid is most famous for, along with some rather special sights.
Although the city has its roots in the 9th century, its most significant attractions are artistic rather than architectural in nature. The internationally-revered Museo del Prado holds one of the world's most extraordinary art collections, with works by the Spanish masters Velazquez, Goya, and El Greco, and the Italian master, Raphael.
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia is its exceptional modern-focused equivalent, offering visitors the chance to ogle pieces by Mire, Dali and Picasso, including the jewel in the crown, Picasso's Guernica. The final member of the triumvirate is the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, which exhibits a remarkable private collection of Western art.
Arranged around the bustling central square of Puerta del Sol, Madrid's old districts are made for exploring by foot, yielding narrow streets, grand plazas, churches, monasteries and palaces dating back to the 15th century.
It's a shoppers' paradise, too, with so much retail therapy on offer that you might very well consider delaying your departure until you've been cured of all your euros.
Still, according to a handy variation on an old Spanish proverb, be good to yourself, and then you can be good to others.
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Madrid : Next 24-Hour Weather
Today - 3rd December 2024
Sunrise 08:21
Sunset 17:49
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Tomorrow - 4th December 2024
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