Madrid peaks compared to the other European cities when it comes to nightlife. When bars and clubs in other cities start to light the lamps and lower the volume, the evening is just getting started in Madrid. Here is something to suit most styles and genres, from house music to flamenco. It’s a bit of a tradition to eat churros dipped in chocolate after a long night out in Madrid, but many bars serve tapas well into the small hours, so there’s always something close at hand when your stomach starts to cure.
There are also plenty of festivals in Madrid, they know how to party and why stop at nightclubs? If you visit Madrid in the month of October, you can enjoy the month-long Festival de Otoño, which has a program full of music, dance and theater from all over the world. Mad Cool is another festival that is very popular and relatively new, the festival site has a size of 100,000m² and can accommodate up to 80,000 visitors and there are 7 scenes in the area. The music style is very varied and artists like Pearl Jam and Depeche Mode have performed there.
Madrid has an impressive art museum! Mueso del Prado has a collection of over 2000 paintings, 5000 drawings, 1000 coins and much more. They have an extensive collection of Spanish art that stretches from the 11th century to the 18th century but also a lot of artwork from international artists. Plaza Mayor is a large square with cultural historical value, where executions, bullfights and various types of competitions have been arranged. Thankfully, no executions are done anymore, now it is more of a nice meeting place for both Spaniards and tourists, lined by nice restaurants serving tapas and sometimes even a concert on the square.
If you are shopping the week you can find luxury shops and large chains along Calle Goya and Grand Vía, the latter street being seen as Madrid’s answer to Broadway – here it is teeming with cinemas and theaters! If you are looking for some different shopping you should go to El Rastro where there is a flea market every Sunday where you will find vintage clothing, crafts, jewelry and other exciting things. If you want to buy fruit, ham and other Spanish specialties you should look into the Mercado de la Paz and if you are looking for even more tapas and maybe an ice cream or two you should look up the Mercado de San Miguel sales hall.
If you need some new perspectives, take a ride on the Teleférico cable car, which gives you a spectacular view of the city. The cable car takes about 10 minutes from the starting point to the destination and at the final destination there is also a restaurant!
