Madrid

Felipe Gabaldón, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Madrid, capital of Spain and former centre of a vast new-world empire has accumulated a wealth of art and architecture that should tickle even the most jaded of travellers.

What better place to start than in the Golden Triangle of Art - the three world class museums of the Prado , Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza . And if you want to pace yourself, why not break up your museum visits with a paseo through the grand (and neat) space of El Retiro Park ? See if you can find the statue of Lucifer. Need a clue? It stands at 666 meters above sea level. This park along with Paseo del Prado boulevard has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

If you want bigger green spaces and bigger views, you could go to the other side of the Royal Palace to the former hunting grounds of the Casa de Campo . Hop on a teleférico cable car for a bird's eye view. But as you go past the Royal Palace, don't expect the King and Queen to invite you in for a 'tapa and caña' as they don't live there anymore.

A visit to The Temple of Debod will transport you back to ancient Egypt. This temple was moved here stone-by-stone from upper Egypt and donated in thanks for the help with conservation work at Abu Simbel.

Madrid is proudly touted as Spain's non-stop capital of food, fashion and nightlife. And if you want to put all three to the test, but rolled in to one, why not visit these stylish bars and restaurants as the sunsets? Otherwise, just join the evening marcha - a throng of people hopping from bar to bar in search of tapas and working up an appetite ready for dinner as midnight approaches.

Highlights

Golden Triangle of Art - Prado (pre-20th century art including works by Goya and Velázquez) , Reina Sofía (modern art and home to Picasso's Guernica) and Thyssen-Bornemisza (a collection featuring works by some of the world's most famous artists through the ages).
Stroll around the Retiro Park (a mix of formal gardens and open spaces, previously the reserve of Spanish royalty) and along the Paseo del Prado (historic tree-lined boulevard, which together form the UNESCO World Heritage Site ' a landscape of Arts and Sciences '
Tapas hopping - Madrid abounds with tapas and seafood bars, so why not sample a tapa of the house speciality in several of them

Station stroll ideas

Tourist info have provided a set of downloadable maps and guides here which include theme specific routes.

Guided tours

To get a guided tour of Madrid, you could try this list here

Luggage

If you want to stroll without a care in the world, including your luggage, you could try using the nannybag app to find a place that will take your bags.