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 Madrid
became Spain's capital simply through its geographical position at the
centre of Iberia. When Felipe II moved the seat of government here in
1561 his aim was to create a symbol of the unification and
centralization of the country, and a capital from which he could receive
the fastest post and communications from each corner of the nation. The
site itself had few natural advantages - it is 300km from the sea on a
650-metre-high plateau, freezing in winter, burning in summer - and it
was only the determination of successive rulers to promote a strong
central capital that ensured Madrid's survival and development.
Nonetheless, it was a success, and today Madrid is a vast, predominantly
modern city, with a population of some three million and growing. The
journey in - through a stream of concrete-block suburbs - isn't pretty,
but the streets at the heart of the city are a pleasant surprise, with
pockets of medieval buildings and narrow, atmospheric alleys, dotted
with the oddest of shops and bars, and interspersed with eighteenth-century
Bourbon squares. By comparison with the historic cities of Spain -
Toledo, Salamanca, Sevilla, Granada - there may be few sights of great
architectural interest, but the monarchs did acquire outstanding picture
collections, which formed the basis of the Prado museum. This has long
ensured Madrid a place on the European art tour, and the more so since
the 1990s arrival - literally down the street - of the Reina Sofía and
Thyssen-Bornemisza galleries, state-of-the-art homes to fabulous arrays
of modern Spanish painting (including Picasso's Guernica ) and European
and American masters.
As you get to grips with the place you soon realize that it's the
inhabitants - the madrileños - that are the capital's key attraction:
hanging out in the traditional cafés or the summer terrazas, packing the
lanes of the Sunday Rastro flea market, or playing hard and very, very
late in a thousand bars , clubs, discos and tascas . Whatever Barcelona
or San Sebastián might claim, the Madrid scene, immortalized in the
movies of Pedro Almodóvar, remains the most vibrant and fun in the
country. The city is also in better shape than for many years past,
after a £500-million refurbishment for its role as 1992 European Capital
of Culture and the ongoing impact of a series of urban rehabilitation
schemes - funded jointly by the European Union and local government - in
the older barrios (districts) of the city. Improvements are also being
made to the transport network, with extensions to the metro, the
construction of new ring roads and the excavation of a series of road
tunnels designed to bring relief to the city's overcrowded streets. The
authorities are even preparing a bid for the 2012 Olympics.
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Location
Madrid is located a little north east from the geographical center of
the Iberian Peninsula, in the middle of the Spanish central Castillian
plateau (Meseta central), at an average altitude of 650m. Nearly all of
the most famous tourist areas are located in the historical center of
Madrid, middle south of the city: Puerta del Sol in the middle, Plaza
Mayor a bit to the south, Palacio Real to the west, and Plaza de Colón
to the north-east. Some of those hot spots spread up past the Gran Via,
which is one of the main streets in Madrid (the largest one being Alcalá
Street, followed by the Paseo de la Castellana).
Climate
The climate of Madrid is continental; mainly dry and quite extreme at
times, with frequent rain in winter. Madrid sees perpetual sunshine and
a characteristically hot temperature in the summer, but with a fairly
cold temperature in the winter. Spring and autumn are fairly temperate
with most rainfall concentrated in these seasons, together with winter.
Spring is definitely the best time to visit, especially the months of
April and May. Rainfall occurs sporadically, and snowfall is not
something that happens every year in the city, but there is abundant
snowfall in the adjacent mountain ranges nearby.
Culture
Royal PalaceThe culture of Madrid was dominated by its religious and
Royal history. Enormous, monolithic cathedrals and churches are
plentiful in Madrid, as well as medieval architecture, although nowadays
Madrid is just as much a cosmopolitan city as Berlin or London, full of
new architecture, life style and culture.
The citizens of Madrid, who refer to themselves as Madrileños or the
more traditional and currently seldom used term "gatos" (cats), live by
a daily routine that is heavily influenced by the climate. Due to the
typically extreme midday heat, a "siesta" is observed during which some
citizens take a break to cool off, though Madrileños can usually only
afford this 'luxury' during holidays and weekends. Most stores are open
during all the day, just small stores are often closed during this time.
Workers and those more afflicted by Western lifestyles choose not to
observe this long break and work traditional business hours, which are
usually between 9AM and 6-7PM. During summer many offices, however, will
have a summer schedule requiring workers to start at 8am and finish at
3pm (most commonly without the standard 1-2 hour break for lunch).
Offices usually close during the weekend but businesses are often open
Saturday morning (downtown stays open until afternoon). Most grocers are
closed on Sundays, but some major chain and department stores linked to
"culture" (books, music, etc.) will be open throughout the day as it is
allowed by law.
Madrid possibly has the largest number of bars per capita of any
European city and a very active nightlife; Madrileños are known to stay
up until as late as 5AM-7AM. It is quite common to see a crowded Gran
Via on weekend nights. It is important to note that, due to this
lifestyle, lodging located near the fun areas may end up a nightmare for
light sleepers if your window matches the street.
Madrid has a very modernized and elaborate transportation network of
buses and Metro. The city contrasts with some large European cities in
that it is extremely clean, and city employees in bright yellow vests
can almost always be seen cleaning the streets and sidewalks. Like most
large cities, however, there is a substantial population of vagrants and
beggars lining the streets.
Madrid is one of the biggest and most cosmopolitan cities in Europe.
Communities of West Africans, North Africans, other Europeans, Chinese,
Indians, Filipinos, Pakistanis and (especially) Latin Americans are
prominent.
Some popular districts are:
Malasaña— Alternative area, full of all kind of people hanging out at
pubs, bars, cafes, squares and small shops. Mainly rock and punk music,
some of them still open from "La movida madrileña" (beginning of 80's).
Chueca— By Malasaña and Gran Via, it is the gay district with a very
strong personality. New design, trendy shops, cool cafes. Pop and
electronic music.
Lavapies— Lavapies is maybe the most cosmopolitan and hippy area at the
same time in Madrid. Indian restaurants, alternative coffees, African
music and South American shops. Walking around for a coffee is well
worth it.
La Latina— By Lavapies, it is the place to go for tapas and full of
bohemian young people looking for stylish bars. It hosts the most
popular flea market in Madrid, every Sunday morning.
Salamanca— Plenty of expensive boutiques, uniques shops with impossible
prices and department stores.
Moncloa— Due to proximity to the main University in Madrid (Universidad
Complutense), Moncloa is associated with students and a student
lifestyle.
Barrio de las Letras / Huertas— Many of Spains most famous writers lived
there (Cervantes, Quevedo, etc.). It is among Lavapies, Puerta del Sol
and Paseo del Pradas. It is an area full of history and interesting
buildings and is also well-known because of its concentration of bars,
pubs, restaurants and hotels. As it is centred on tourism, it is not
visited as often as other areas in Madrid by the locals.
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