Madrid

The capital of Spain is also a world capital for art

The capital of Castile and center of all Spain, Madrid is a museum lover's paradise. This is where you'll find Picasso's Guernica, Velázquez's Las Meninas, and works by Goya, El Greco, and hundreds of other European artists lining the halls of the Prado.

But Madrid is not just about art. As capital of Spain, it's also the capital of the evening pre-dinner stroll, called the paseo—or, if you pause in countless little bars serving the bite-sized morsels called tapas, it's called a tapeo.

You can spend the morning at the royal palace, the afternoon in an 18th-century art gallery, the late afternoon at the bullfights, the evening having a 10pm dinner, the night attending a Flamenco show, and then dance until dawn at one of Madrid's hopping clubs.

If you're into art and museums in general, spend four to five days in Madrid. If not, give it at least two days, with another two thrown in for day trips to Toledo and Segovia.

This article was last updated in December 2011. All information was accurate at the time.

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Copyright © 1998–2012 by Reid Bramblett. Author: Reid Bramblett.