POST DOSTĘPNY TAKŻE PO POLSKU
I traveled to Spain several times but somehow I’ve never had an occasion to visit Madrid (not counting a short stay at the airport on the way south). Although it’s a capital – a population of the city is approx. 3,5 mn, and the metropolitan area 6mn – it’s not so overwhelming as some other European cities, not mentioning giants like Istanbul or Mumbai.
I liked Madrid from the start. Walking around the center you have an impression that the local authorities care for monuments, and inhabitants for their houses. I had an impression that (as for Spain) the city was neat and clean.
Let’s begin from the start…
We land at the Bajaras International Airport on Wednesday, May 29 (2013), at about 14h (thanks to Ryanair we had a direct flight from Cracow, the flight lasts about 3,5 hours). The airport is about 15 km away from the center. The simplest way to get there is to take a metro. From Terminal 2 we take line no. 8 (the only service to the airport) and arrive to the transfer station Nuevos Ministerios; ticket is 4,50€. Here we change for the line which takes us to plaza de España.
You can also take a bus called Línea Express, running 24/7; during a day every 15’, in the night every 35’, you buy a ticket: 5€ (luggage included) from the driver; it goes to the Atocha Renfe train station, but this stop is closed from 23.30 until 6.00 and then a bus departs from plaza de Cibeles.
By taxi from the airport to the center it takes about 30 minutes, cost: 15-20€.
Tourist Information Point at the airport can be found in the arrival hall in Terminal 4. You can get here a city map with public transportation system described, various brochures and the most important information. The main IT office – Centro de Turismo de Madrid is located on plaza Mayor 27. The staff is extremely helpful and very competent, they will provide you with plenty of publications and suggestions of the routes for every taste.
Official website: www.madrid.es
Transportation
The most convenient way of traveling around the city is metro. It has 12 lines, it runs from 6.05 until 2.00. A single ticket for up to 5 stations in A zone (Zona A) costs 1,50€, then you have to add 0,10€ for every additional station, until you reach 2€ (over 9 stations).
To get to and from the airport you pay a supplement of 3€. Tickets for Line 9 as well as for ML2 and ML3 are also more expensive.
If you want to use the public transportation more often, you can buy so-called Metrobus – 10 transfers for 12,20€ (valid for a metro Zona A, ML1 and EMT). There are also touristic cards – abono turístico (zone A – metro, ML1 & EMT: 24-h – 8€, 48-h – 13,40€, 72-h – 17,40€).
Official website: www.metromadrid.es
Sightseeing
Spanish capital offers many interesting sights to visit. It’s worth to know that many of them may be visited for free – during some days and hours; it applies to permanent exhibitions. The bad thing is that in many of them you can’t take photos.
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| In the courtyard of the Royal Palace |
*Royal Palace (Palacio Real) – c/ Bailén; daily 10-20 (ticket windows close at 19); entry: 10€ (official chambers, art gallery, pharmacy, armory); free admission Wed-Thu 17-20. The building is from XVII century; some parts open to public, including plenty of richly decorated chambers in various styles, e.g. porcelain cabinet – filled with porcelain figurines, pharmacy with medicines; in the throne hall there is a beautiful ceiling filled with frescoes; thrones of the present sovereigns, king Juan Carlos and queen Sofía. In the armory you can admire a rich collection of guns from various periods. Website: www.patrimonionacional.es
The palace in itself is huge, although a facade is a bit neglected. On the one side there are beautiful gardens open to public, where you can take a nice walk, and on the other – cathedral (see below).
If you want to visit the palace for free, you’ll have to stand in a long line, but it’s worth it, as it helps you to save 10€ per person.
*Cathedral (Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Almudena); c/ Bailén. The only cathedral in the city; close to the Royal Palace; its construction began in XIX centuries and lasted until 1993. Free admission, free donation welcomed but not compulsory.
*St. Francis Basilica (Basilica de San Francisco el Grande); plaza de San Francisco (at the end of c/ Bailén). Built by Charles III in 1760 r., it’s said to be located in the place of a monastery founded by St. Francis himself in 1217.
*Prado Museum (Paseo del Prado); c/ Ruiz de Alarcón 23; Mon-Sat 10-20, Sun 10-19. The oldest art collection in the world, great collection of paintings of e.g. Goya, Velázquez, Bosch, el Greco; entry: 12€ (permanent and temporary exhibitions); free admission Tue-Sat 18-20, Sun 17-19. You have to spend a while in a line to “deserve” a free entry. After passing through several chambers you can get dizzy – it’s hard to remember all the names and paintings one has an opportunity to admire here. Website: www.museodelprado.es
Not far from el Prado there is a building of the Cortes Generales, Spanish parliament as well as Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (we didn’t visit it).
*Reina Sofía Museum (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia); c/ Santa Isabel 52; Mon, Wed-Sat 10-21, Sun 10-19, (Tue – closed); entry: 6€ (permanent and temporary exhibition); free admission Mon, Wed-Fri 19-21, Sat 14.30-21, Sun. This is a place for those who like modern art, it’s full of modern installations, not always comprehensible for those not knowing anything about the history of Spain. During our stay in Madrid there was also a temporary exhibition of Dali’s works. Website: www.museoreinasofia.es
*Depot Temple (Templo de Debod) – Tue-Fri 10-14, 18-20, Sat-Sun 9.30-20; free entry. This ancient temple from II century B.C.E., dedicated to the cult of the Egyptian gods Amon and Isis, was formerly located in Dobod at the Nile. It was given to Spain by Egypt in acknowledgement for the help in saving a Nubian temple. It’s been placed in Parque del Cuartel de la Montaña, on the hill near the Royal Palace.
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| Boats in the Buen Retiro Park |
*Buen Retiro Park (Parque del Buen Retiro) – it’s a very good place for relax, no matter what time of day you choose. A well-kept park covers a huge area, 120 ha; to see everything you have to spend much time here. Right in the middle, near is a monument dedicated to Alfonso XII there is a pond where you can swim in a boat. So-called Crystal Palace (Palacio de Cristal) is also very impressive – 10-22, free entry. In the neighboring palace you can watch modern installations. There are also interesting botanic gardens nearby. It’s worth to know that every year, in the beginning of June, there is a book fair held in Retiro.
*Puerta del Sol – oval square surrounded from all sides by cream-colored houses from XIII century; the distances in Spain are counted from here; there’s a statue of Charles III here and two nice fountains; historic town hall is an ideal background for a photo; it’s here where madrileños welcome a new year.
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| Cristal Palace |
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| Richly decorated balcony of the Casa de Panadería on plaza Mayor |
*Plaza Mayor – old town, one of the oldest pieces of architecture in Madrid, from XVI and XVII centuries; richly decorated building of Casa de Panadería has a balcony on which in the past kings used to appear during important events.
*Plaza de España – nothing interesting here apart from the sculptures of protagonists of “Don Quichote”.
*Plaza de Colón – in the center of this very busy place there stands a statue of Columbus; nearby you can admire a unique fountain, a building of the National Library and the Archeological Museum; it’s a main hub of the city.
*Plaza de Cibeles – with a fountain of the Phrygian goddess of fertility Cibele.
*Gran Vía – commercial, entertainment and cultural center of the city, it runs from plaza de España to plaza de Cibeles.
Entertainment
There are plenty of pubs, restaurants and discos in Madrid. Everyone can find a place for themselves. The prices are not high – I mean in not-so-elegant places. A coffee or a beer in a café is 1-2,50€, you pay more in a pub or a disco, usually 2-3€ (you won’t see here such high prices as e.g. in the discos in Barcelona). Entry fee to a disco is more or less 15-20€, the price includes at least one drink or beer. You have to bear in mind that Spaniards go to the discos very late, when in Poland the fun is in full swing, that is about 2 a.m. If you go at 23, you will arrive as a first guest only to wonder if the event has been canceled…
Shopping
Madrid is also a wonderful place for shopping, for goods of every sort. I was interested the most in books, clothes and shoes. Prices? More or less like in Poland, you don’t have to worry to go bankrupt, and you can find much more interesting things here. Lucky for me I had a luggage limit (low-cost airlines), or else I would have bought something in every shop; and thus I limited myself to sports shoes, a tank, an mp3 player and several books. There was a book fair held at that time, apart from the huge selection it meant also lower prices!
It’s worth knowing that El Corte Inglés department stores offer a tourist from a UE country 10% discount on selected goods, e.g. some perfumes, clothes, watches, shoes. Unfortunately the discount doesn’t include books… You withdraw your discount card at a special counter for tourists, you need to show an ID with a photo; it applies to adults of over 18 years of age. The card is valid for a day, thus it’s better to check what we want to buy first.
Accommodation
Unlike during my previous travels, this time I didn’t stay at hostels. For the first time I used Airbnb website (www.airbnb.com). This is a site where people put their apartments for rent. You can find here flats rented by persons for whom it’s a way of earning a living, but also by those who go on a holiday and want to earn some money by renting their flat just for the period of their absence. Registration is obligatory, there’s also a recommendations system which helps to choose a particular flat.
As probably most of the tourists, we looked for a flat close to the center and at the same time not expensive. We chose Centro Apartamento a full wifi B, at calle Tutor. This small apartment, close to plaza de España and Gran Vía, main street of the city, had sort of a living room (sofa, TV) with a kitchen (table, oven, washing machine and fridge), small sleeping room and a bathroom. Just enough for two persons. Bad thing was it was located in the basements which made it, despite small windows, somewhat dark and a bit humid, we have to switch on a ventilator all the time.
Cost: 185€ for 5 nights, including Airbnb service fee, which gives 37€ per night.
Food
Madrid is not so expensive as one could suppose. Of course, eating in elegant restaurants might end in heart attack, but there are many places where you can eat for the same price as in Cracow (excluding so-called milk bars – their prices can be only beaten by the cheap eateries in Thailand).
On the other hand, shopping for food on our own – that’s what we rented a flat for: to be able to prepare food by ourselves – cost us more or less the same as in Poland.
Read also:
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Spain: Málaga
Spain: Seville
Spain: Toledo
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