DP Travel : Madrid, The Capital That Rocks

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The Madrid City Travelogue, Brought To You By DelhiPlanet Travel

Country: Capital Of Spain as well as the capital of the autonomous community of the same name (Comunidad de Madrid). It is Spain’s largest city, with a population (city) of 3.228 million (July 2005) and 5.843 million (metropolitan area).

National Carrier: Iberia. Other Spanish Airlines are SpanAir and Vueling.

Local Language: Spanish is the official language of Madrid and the whole of Spain. Spanish is the second most spoken language by native speakers however there are mild differences in the spanish spoken in Spain and other Latin American countries.

Time Zone: Spain is in the Central European Time Zone. Central European Standard Time (CET) is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1). Like most countries in Europe, Summer (Daylight-Saving) Time is observed in Spain, where the time is shifted forward by 1 hour; 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2).

Best Time To Visit: The best time to visit Madrid is from March to June, that is spring time. Summers in Spain are hot and sultry while winters are very cold. Another good time to visit Madrid is between September through early November when the weather is nice and cool.

Best Place To Stay For Youths:

Los Amigos Backpackers Hostel, is the main hostel in Madrid dedicated exclusively to the backpack travellers and 100% oriented towards their specific needs. It is quite centrally located and offers most of the facilities needed by backpackers. If you’re travelling during backpacking season, i.e between May to August then do book in advance.

Cat’s Hostel has an old palace like setting and the entrance to the hostel is situated in a road that runs parallel to the most important and best known street in terms of the Madrid night scene. The hostel has a Cave Bar and is quite lively in the nights.

Description:

Madrid can be described as a city that is always bustling with energy. The culture of Madrid is 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, and it’s bustling nightlife is proof of this fact.

There exists a famous adage known as “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”. Well, in the city of Madrid it is possible to spend the night hopping from one club to another, and end up drunk with a bunch of people while partying on the street. All this without spending a single penny. Many clubs in Madrid invite club goers in for a free drink after which one has the option of staying on or leaving. So if you’re low on cash then just keep hopping from one club to another while enjoying all the free drinks. Madrid has a very active nightlife and possibly it also has the largest number of bars per capita of any European city.

Must See: Madrid has some amazing places which are definetly worth checking out, the most popular amongst these are:

• Palacio Real: The Royal Palace of Madrid (Spanish: Palacio Real de Madrid) is the official residence of the King of Spain. King Juan Carlos and the royal family do not actually reside in this palace, instead choosing the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela, on the outskirts of Madrid. However, the Palacio Real de Madrid is still used for state occasions. The palace is owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional agency. The palace also has the distinction of being the largest royal palace in Western Europe in size, with over a combined area of over 135,000 m² and more than 2,800 rooms. The Palace is a major tourist attraction although most of the areas of the palace are cordoned off and there is always a lot of security here ( Catch a glimpse of the palace in our video below).
• The Real Madrid Football Stadium: If you are a football fan then Madrid is the place to be in. It is well-known for it’s famous club Real Madrid and the football stadium of the club is definetly worth a visit. In the off-season the stadium is like a museum and visitors can check out the history of the club, the stadium, the trophies, player potraits and even buy some authentic stuff at the store. The tour costs around 10 euros and includes the chance to walk around the field, visit the player dugouts, dorms and press rooms (Catch a glimpse of this ground in our video below ).
• Gran Via: Gran Vía (literally “Great Way”) is an ornate and upscale shopping street located in central Madrid. Literally, “Broadway“, Gran Via is one of the busiest avenues in Madrid, and is what you could call “Downtown” or the heart of the city. It is in a way very similar to Times Square in New York City and is definetly worth a visit at any time of the day.

Must Do: Well, now that you’ve seen the cool places it’s time to get involved and enjoy the spirit of the city. When in Madrid make sure to do the following:

• Watch Flamenco: Flamenco is a Spanish dance form, which involves a lot of body movement, extreme foot tapping as well as intricate hand and footwork. There are many clubs in Madrid, where you can get a chance to watch some Flamenco. At most places an entry fee is charged which covers one complimentary drink and around 30-45 minutes of dance. Although you might get a chance to see some flamenco action in Mexico and other Latin American countries it won’t be anything like it would be in Madrid, as the dance form originates from Spain (Watch some flamenco action in our video below ).
• Go Club Hopping: As described earlier, Madrid has an amazing night life and unless you’re coming to Madrid from Ibiza or Barcelona you wouldn’t want to miss the action. One must visit the Palacio Gaviria which is a club that was earlier a palace (Checkout some hot club action in our video below ).
• Get Your Potrait Done: Have your portrait drawn in the Plaza Mayor. Generally very good quality and the prices are very reasonable.

Madrid in Pictures: Catch our exclusive video of this amazing city.

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