We spent a few days in Madrid where the city’s vibrant energy and fantastic gastronomic culture immediately captivated us. The local markets (mercados) and the endless array of tapas bars completely amazed us and every evening we discovered new flavors while wandering the cozy streets. On the first evening we found a Venezuelan restaurant where we tasted the famous arepa, a hearty stuffed flatbread made from corn flour, and this new discovery was a great start to our adventure in Madrid. I especially loved the many ham shops where the smell of the world-famous jamón ibérico, acorn-fed cured ham, filled the space, while my wife was most happy that we found a Jollibee restaurant, a popular fast food chain from the Philippines with its famous sweet spaghetti and crispy chicken.
Madrid’s history began relatively late compared to other Spanish cities, having been founded by the Moors as a strategic fortress on the banks of the Manzanares River in the 9th century under the name Mayrit. The city’s fortunes changed dramatically in 1561 when King Philip II of Spain moved his court here, making Madrid the capital of the vast Spanish Empire. Over the centuries, the town developed from a simple market town into a monumental royal center, where the lavish palaces and squares that still define the city’s image today were built under the Habsburg and Bourbon houses.
Among the city’s architectural masterpieces, the Palacio Real, or Royal Palace, stands out, one of the largest and most ornate royal residences in Western Europe with its more than three thousand rooms. We also visited the Real Casa de la Moneda building, where we could learn about the history of the Spanish royal mint and the numismatic treasures in a modern museum environment. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum was also an unforgettable experience, as it is one of the most important private collections in the world, covering all the important periods of art history, from the early Italian masters to modern pop art.
Madrid’s present and future are inseparable from its vibrant cultural life and iconic sites such as the Puerta del Sol, where the zero kilometer stone for all the country’s main roads is located. The city boasts the elegant Art Nouveau buildings of the Gran Vía, the vast Baroque square of the Plaza Mayor and the green tranquility of the Retiro Park, where locals and tourists enjoy the sunshine together. Madrid is now one of the most vibrant capitals in Europe, with a unique blend of deep-rooted traditions, world-class museums and a modern urban lifestyle.
