Travel Tips - Madrid, Spain

The large plaza called Puerta del Sol is Madrid’s historical center. There is even a small metal plaque embedded on one of the plaza’s streets marking Madrid’s Km. 0, the point from which all of Madrid’s major streets begin, as well as the starting point of Spain’s four national roads.

The plaza is home to several Madrid landmarks, including the Real Casa de Correos, which used to be a post office but is now HQ for the Autonomous Community of Madrid, and the statues of King Carlos III, called “The Mayor of Madrid” for the improvements he made to the city, and el oso y el madroño (the bear and hackberry tree), the official symbol of the City of Madrid. Also located in the plaza are the infamous Tio Pepe billboard and the historic Mallorquina café and bakery.

The Prado Museum was built between 1785 and 1819 to house the Spanish royal family’s art collection. Despite the massive size of the Prado, which takes up the equivalent of about two city blocks, it was not nearly big enough to house a collection of such epic proportions. Despite several expansions, the museum only displays about 1,500 of its work at a time.

Although the Prado collection has works by renowned classical artists from all over Europe, it is best known for its collection of works by two of Spain’s most important painters, Velazquez and Goya. These collections are not to be missed, especially the museum’s pièce de résistance, Velazquez’s Las Meninas. Fans of Hieronymus Bosch will be pleased to discover that some of his most famous paintings also grace the Prado’s walls.

The Prado is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00AM to 10PM. Entrance is free from 6:00PM to 8:00PM Tuesday through Saturday and from 5:00PM to 8:00PM on Sundays. At all other times, cost of entrance is 9 Euros.

Located just two blocks off of Madrid’s shop laden, centric street (Gran Via) and smack in the middle of the city’s gay district (Chueca), is the excellent café and ice cream shop NuRielle. Aside from an assortment of gorgeous Italian gelatos, NuRielle has a wide selection of mouthwatering sweets, from croissants to cakes to cream or chocolate filled pastries.

For those watching their waistlines, the fruit cup and fresh orange juice is the best way to go. And although NuRielle is technically a café, cocktails are served after 7:00PM. The decor is modern and bold, yet inviting, and the clientele is varied. It’s an excellent place for breakfast (a coffee and pastry are only 2.20 Euros between 8:00AM and 12:00PM), a snack or dessert.