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Madrid : Overview & Top 10

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Madrid

Madrid’s three world-class art museums and two royal palaces alone would set the pulses racing, but there is more to this exciting and diverse capital than its tourist sights. The fashion boutiques of the Salamanca district showcase Europe’s top designers and are just the tip of a shopping iceberg, perfectly complementing the informality of the fascinating El Rastro market, while Madrid’s world-famous tapas bars vie for attention with gourmet restaurants and humble tabernas in a city which never sleeps. To simply watch the world go by, head for the supremely elegant Plaza Mayor.

  • The main transport hub, has a surprising tropical forest inside it complete with terrapins. Have a relaxing drink at the cafe for a ringside seat. Like the rest of Madrid it was very reasonably priced.

  • Bodega La Ardosa

    Close to the trendy Mercado de Fuencarral and all its fashionable stores, this bar stands out with its classical decoration and cool ambient. People gather here from midday to midnight for a quiet beer and a chat with the friends or a quick break in the shopping frenzy. If this is not enough, they hold a competition: La Ardosa Guinness Record of beer drinking. dont you fancy giving it a try?

  • Campo del Moro

    The Campo del Moro is a pleasing park, rising steeply from the Rio Manzanares to offer one of the finest views of the Palacio Real. The park has a varied history. In 1109 a Moorish army, led by Ali ben Yusuf bivouacked here, hence the name. In the late 19th century it was used as a lavish playground for royal children. It was reopened to the public in 1931 under the Second Republic closed again under Franco and not reopened until 1983.

  • Catedral de la Almudena

    Dedicated to the city's patron, the cathedral of La Almudena was begun in 1879 and completed over a century later. The cathedral which stands to the south of the Plaza de la Almeria, held the first royal wedding between Prince Felipe and Letizia Ortiz in May 2004.

  • Cervantes

    Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( September 29?, 1547 – April 23, 1616) was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. Cervantes is one of the most important and influential people in literature and his magnum opus, Don Quixote, is considered a founding classic of Western literature and regularly figures among the best novels ever written. His work is considered among the most important in all of literature. He has been dubbed el Príncipe de los Ingenios (the Prince of Wits). Cervantes' novel Don Quixote has had a tremendous influence on the development of prose fiction; it has been translated into all major languages and has appeared in 700 editions. The first translation was in English, made by Thomas Shelton in 1608, but not published until 1612. Shakespeare had evidently read Don Quixote, but it is most unlikely that Cervantes had ever heard of Shakespeare. Carlos Fuentes raised the possibility that Cervantes and Shakespeare were the same person (see Shakespearean authorship question). Francis Carr has suggested that Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare's plays and Don Quixote.

  • Cinema

    Spain's thriving film scene has gained international exposure in recent years. The country makes around 100 feature films a year and the film "Alatriste", which stars Viggo Mortensen, is the most expensive Spanish-language film ever made in Spain (about €24 million – US$30 million). It portrays Spain of the 17th century using both fictional and real characters. The most famous Spanish directors are Pedro Almodovar, Alejandro Amenabar and Agustin Diaz Yanes. Most foreign-language films are dubbed in Spanish, but non spanish movies can be seen in their original language versions at theatres of "Luna", "Ideal", "Alphaville" and "Renoir". Screenings will be found listed in newspapers and listings magazines. For those with a gasp of the language, Spanish film is a rewarding experience, especially enjoyed at one of the grand film theatres along Gran Via, such as "Capitol", which has screened films since the early 1900s.

  • The Nuns belong to a closed order. They sell home-made biscuits, a tradition that dates back to the 16th century.The biscuits are sold through a serving hatch, whereby you can hear the nuns speak but not see them.This place is situated at or near Plaza Conde de Miranda 3, then go into Calle del Codo and the door is on the right, difficult to find . Te. 91 548 3901

  • Football

    Club Atlético de Madrid (often mispelled Athletico Madrid) is a Spanish football club based in Madrid who play in the Primera División of La Liga. Their home stadium is the Vicente Calderón Stadium, which currently holds up to 55,000 spectators. The club is one of the most successful in Spanish League history, having won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey on nine occasions, including a double in 1996. They also won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1962 and were European Cup runners-up and Intercontinental Cup winners in 1974. Atlético play in red and white striped shirts and blue shorts. During their history, the club have been known by a number of nicknames including los colchoneros or the mattresses due to their first team stripes being the same colours as old-fashioned mattresses. During the 1970s they became known as los indios. This was allegedly due to the club signing several South American players after the restrictions on signing foreign players was lifted. However there are a number of counter theories which claim they were so named because their stadium is camped on the river bank or because los indios were the traditional enemy of los blancos —the whites. The latter nickname refers to the club's city rival Real Madrid.

    Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (English: Madrid Royal Football Club, also known as Real Madrid, Los Blancos, Los Merengues) is a professional Spanish football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902, it plays in La Liga and is one of the most successful football clubs of the 20th century, having won thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Copa del Rey and a record nine UEFA Champions League titles. The team was a founding member of the now defunct G-14 group of leading European football clubs. The club plays its home games in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid. Real Madrid is unusual in that, unlike most football clubs, it has been owned and operated only by its members (socios) since 1902. On December 23, 2000, FIFA awarded the Spanish team the title of the "Best Club of the 20th Century". Los Blancos is the most successful club in UEFA club football competitions history with nine European Cups and two UEFA Cups; more than any other European club. Real Madrid is the biggest and most extensive football club in the world according to the case studies at Harvard University in 2007. It is also the richest one in terms of revenue.

  • Juan Bautista de Toledo (died May 19, 1567) was a well-known Spanish sculptor and architect from Madrid.

    He was born in Madrid at an unknown date, and nothing is known of his childhood. But in 1547, Toledo went to Rome and studied under Michelangelo Buonarroti. Then he went to Naples, where he had been summoned by the Viceroy, Don Pietro de Toledo, to work as an architect for Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He designed many buildings there, including: the Strada di Toledo (since 1870 called Strada di Roma), the church of St. Giacomo degli Spagnuoli; the square bastions to the Castello Nuovo; a large palazzo at Posillipo, and a number of fountains.

    In 1559, he was summoned back to Madrid by Philip II and appointed Architect-in-Chief of the royal works in Spain. His yearly salary as architect to the Crown was at first no more than 220 ducats, because Philip's policy, with his Spanish artists at least, was to give them moderate allowances until he had tested their abilities. In Madrid, he designed the Casa de la Misericordia and the façade of the church de las Descalzas Reales, Casa de Campo. He also created works at Aceca; at the palace of Aranjuez; at Martininos de las Posadas, the palace of Cardinal Espinosa, and a villa at Esteban de Ambran for the secretary D. de Vargas. Toledo's master work was the Escorial, the Monastery, La Granjila de La Fresneda de El Escorial and Canal de El Escorial (the channel to supply water to the Monastery). He supervised El Escorial (Monastery and Site -the surroundings of Monastery) until his death in 1567. El Escorial was finished by Juan de Herrera.

    Also reported to have designed the Palacio del Buen Retiro and, in collaboration with Gaspar de Vega, the main design of La Granjilla de La Fresneda de El Escorial, Madrid.

  • With an interior decorated like a typical Valencian country house and divided up into several small, cosy dining rooms, it's an ideal choice for groups of friends, family dinners or business lunches. It's a busy restaurant that's full every day and night with people ordering from the 20 different varieties of paella on offer. Despite being so busy and so popular with tourists, it still retains its original charm. Foreigners tend to order jugs of sangría whilst locals stick to wine or beer.

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