> Spanish Courses at Madrid > Madrid CityAbout Madrid
Madrid is Spain’s capital and largest city; it’s located in the center of the country making it a linking point with all other places in Spain. Madrid is regarded as a major city in the world due to its economic, political and cultural assets. Madrid is also recognized as the financial capital of the entire Iberian Peninsula; it’s also home to three of the world’s 100 largest companies.
As the capital of Spain, Madrid is the home of the Royal family and the seat of the national government.
Madrid has a population of around 3.5 million people; they are called Madrileños. In combination with the locals and all the foreigners that come to Madrid, the city is always full of life. There are street performers, exhibits, concerts, fiestas and much more.
The climate varies quite a bit between the summer and winter months. Usually the summer is very hot and dry, but in the winter the city sees a lot of rain and sometimes snow.
History
The first settlers in the area around Madrid were, supposedly, Iberian and Celtic tribes. Since the climate and area wasn’t suitable for much, not many settlers stayed and inhabited the land. When the Romans had control of the Iberian Peninsula Madrid was used as a passage way through the land.
Around the 9th century, the Moorish Emir Mohamed I arrived in Madrid and ordered the first structure of the city. They built walls and a fortress to try and protect the city and their people from the Christian re-conquest. For the following 200 years they were always under attack and thus, were not able to expand and create much in the area, in comparison to other Arab towns in Spain, at least.
In the year 1083, Alfonso VI with his troops, conquered Madrid. Everything that was built by the Arabian settlers was demolished. Madrid went on to be a simple, small town, with relatively no importance in the country until 1561.
In 1561, Philip II established the Royal Court in Madrid and it was then made the capital. Philip II began to create monasteries and the palaces for the royalty and nobles who started coming to the town.
After the discovery of America, Madrid started to blossom tremendously, due to the financial growth from all the gold coming in from the new continent.
In the 18th century, under the reign of King Charles III, the city went through a make-over. Many of the most important historical and cultural buildings of today were created, like: Paseo de la Castellana, El Prado, Puerta de Alcala, and the Royal Palace.
The 19th century brought Napoleon to Madrid, although the city’s troops tried to fight back the French troops, they fell short. Today the central square in the city, Plaza Dos de Mayo, is named after this resistance. It is also still celebrated as a holyday in Madrid. Through the rest of the 1800s, Madrid continued to grow and expand as the country’s capital, the roads and railways began construction, thus connecting Madrid to the rest of the Peninsula.
The end of the 19th into the 20th century was a troublesome time for Spain, there was an economic crisis. The country was in limbo with political instability, and finally it came down to the Spanish civil war from 1936-39. After the war, Spain was under control of the dictator General Franco, although the economy was slowly recovering the country and Madrid gained many national institutions, the country was still somewhat in ruins. In 1978, after the death of Franco, Spain transitioned into a Parliamentary monarchy and King Juan Carlos I became Spain’s leader.
Transportation
- Airport: Madrid’s international airport, Barajas Airport, is located just outside of the city. It is the largest in Spain and is used as a central point, connecting Madrid with the rest of Spain. There are many direct flights from Madrid to the Americas as well as other international destinations. To get to and from the city center to the airport there are several options of transport: metro, bus, taxi or rental car. The fastest, cheapest and probably easiest way is by the metro; you can take it right from the airport and arrive at the stop Nuevos Ministerios which will allow you connection metro’s to the rest of the city. The direct bus from the airport goes to Plaza Colon and can be a good option if that is the part of the city you need to get to. The price for a taxi from the center can be around 25-40€, plus there is normally heavy traffic.
- Train: Madrid is also Spain’s main hub for railway travel. There are many train stations in the city. The oldest and largest is Atocha. From this station there are several daily trains connecting Madrid with mainly the South of Spain. There is the high-speed line called the AVE which arrives in Sevilla in about 2 ½ hours. Station Chamartin connects the city with Northern Spain and many other European capital cities. The train is a good way to travel and see the landscape, it is also faster than bus, but can be a bit more expensive.
- Metro: Madrid has one of the most intricate and fastest growing metro systems in the world. Serving the greater city population of some 6 million people on a daily basis, the metro runs about 280 kilometers (175 miles) throughout the city and surrounding areas. It was initiated in 1919 by Alfonso XII; today there are 12 different lines and over 120 stations. A single ticket costs 1€, but if you will be staying in Madrid an extended period of time it is worthwhile to buy a 10-trip card for 6.40€, or they are other combination options such as unlimited travel on the metro and bus for 3 days. The metro opens at 6 a.m. and the last trains are usually around 1:30 a.m.
- Bus: The bus system in Madrid expands to a greater area than the metro reaches. The bus system is also operated in the night time hours, but due to traffic, it can run a bit slower during the daytime than the metro. The same ticket can be used in both the metro and the bus. A single trip costs 1€. Madrid also services other Spanish cities with long distance bus service. There are 2 main stations for these buses, Estación Sur de Autobuses and Auto Res. Long distance bus travel is the cheapest way to get around the country, however if you are on a time budget, it is not the fastest.
Leisure
Madrid today is a large city, full of life and culture. There is a great amount of attractions, monuments, museums, sporting events among other leisure activities. Take a visit to the Royal Palace, located to the east of the Manzanares River.
Madrid is renowned for it quantity and quality of cultural attractions, in the Prado museum and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia you can see some of the great masterpieces of artists like: Picasso, Diego Velázquez, Goya and Salvador Dali. The city has several theater and opera houses, the main being Teatro Real, if you want a night out of high-class culture, go to a show at this opera house. Other fabulous places to visit or have a stroll around are the Puerta de Alcalá, Parque del Buen Retiro, El Rastro (every Sunday this are is filled with street vendors turning it into a huge market with everything you could imagine!), Puerta del Sol and Gran Via (one of the city’s main shopping streets).
If you are interested in seeing a bullfight, Madrid is home to the largest bullfighting ring in Spain, Las Ventas, it was built in 1931. The season runs from March to October, with bullfights every Sunday, plus other festive days. Real Madrid, one of the top fútbol teams of the 20th century, comes from Madrid and plays in Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. The city is also home to one of Real Madrid’s top rivals, Atlético Madrid.
As Madrid is separated into several different neighborhoods or districts, you can find whatever you’re looking for just by taking the Metro or walking through the historic streets.
Gastronomy
The gastronomy in Madrid can categorized as typically Spanish, but with the dynamic mix of people from other regions in Spain, as well as completely different cultures, Madrid and the surrounding region feed on a great variety of tastes. Its centrality offers the chance for unique and distinguished flavors to be a part of the mix.
In the many restaurants and bars throughout the area you can quite possibly find food from almost any region in the world. These dishes, mixed with traditional Spanish meals, meld together making it quite hard to discern what can be called original gastronomy of Madrid. Although Madrid is not so close to the sea, Madrileños still appreciate the great flavors of the country’s finest sea-food. It is a key component of many dishes or tapas found throughout the city. Fresh fish comes in from the coasts each morning, in turn making the fish market in Madrid the second largest in the world!
Madrid is known for distinct differences to common Spanish stews and chicken dishes. They are also known for creating and changing the famous tortilla de patatas (potato omelet). A more refined palate could enjoy callos madrileños, tripe with a semi-spicy sauce. A suiting flavor to any of Madrid’s fabulous flavors could be a vino de Madrid, which are Madrid’s regional wines.
Going Out
Madrid boasts one of the best nightlife scenes in all of Europe, possibly even in the whole world. It has the most diverse atmosphere in Spain, you can find traditional Spanish tapas bars, Irish pubs, German, Scandinavian, jazz, reggae and electronic bars and clubs. It is typical for Madrileños, mostly the youth, to go out and party all night long, stopping in the wee morning hours for chocolate con churros before going home (or directly to work!)
The bars and discos are open year-round, every night and sometimes during the day. There are many places that host bands and different concerts, or sometimes concerts and shows are held outdoors in a park. As with leisure activities, you can go almost anywhere in the city and find something happening, but some of the hot-spots for going out are the Puerta del Sol area, Moncloa, Tribunal, Plaza Dos de Mayo, Bilbao and Huertas.
