Madrid Tourism

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Madrid, is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.571 million. The city is located on the Manzanares River in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. Madrid houses the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization, belonging to the United Nations Organization, the SEGIB and the Organization of Ibero-American States. On October 27, 1807, Charles IV and Napoleon I signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau, which allowed the passage of French troops through Spanish territory to join the Spanish troops and invade Portugal, which had refused to obey the order of blockade international against England. As this was happening, there is the Mutiny of Aranjuez (March 17, 1808), by which the crown prince, Ferdinand VII, replaced his father as king.
Madrid travel insurance

History of Madrid

Madrid was one of the most heavily affected cities of Spain in the Civil War (1936-1939). The city was a stronghold of the Republicans from July 1936. Its western suburbs were the scene of an all-out battle in November 1936 and it was during the Civil War that Madrid became the first European city to be bombed by airplanes (Japan was the first to bomb civilians in world history, at Shanghai in 1932) specifically targeting civilians in the history of warfare.

The Madrid region features a Continental Mediterranean climate with cold winters due to altitude (650 m (2,133 ft) above sea level in Alicante), that includes sporadic snowfalls and minimum temperatures below freezing point. Madrid is the European city with the highest number of trees and green surface per inhabitant and it has the second highest number of aligned trees in the world.

Popular tourist destinations in Madrid

plaza-de-espana
Plaza de espana

Plaza de Espana is a large square, a popular tourist destination located in central Madrid, Spain at the western end of the Gran Vía. It features a monument to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and is adjacent to two of Madrid's most prominent skyscrapers.

puerta-del-sol
Puerta del sol

The Puerta del Sol is a public square in Madrid, one of the best known and busiest places in the city. This is the centre of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year.

royal-palace
Royal palace

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family at the city of Madrid, although now only used for state ceremonies. The palace has 135,000 square metres of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest functioning Royal Palace and the largest by floor area in Europe.

santiago-bernabeu
Santiago bernabeu

The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is a football stadium in Madrid, Spain. With a current seating capacity of 81,044, it has been the home stadium of Real Madrid since its completion in 1947. The Santiago Bernabéu is one of the world's most famous football venues.

Shopping

  • Principe Pio: This is a modern shopping mall. The most central large covered shopping mall in Madrid, perfect for when you don't want the rain to stop your shopping.
  • Palacio de Hielo: A little bit farther, but still in the city, its main attraction is an ice skating ring opened during all the year.
  • Gran Via & Sol: The biggest brands have their biggest stores in this area. Most prominent are the Inditex chains owned by Amancio Ortega Gaona, such as Zara, Pull & Bear and Stradivarius. This behemoth of the Spanish clothing industry is now expanding into other parts of Europe, but their mother ships can be found on or near Gran Via.
  • Fuencarral & Hortaleza: Here many of the trendier stores are being pushed out by the big brands; you can still get some funky and quite individual clothing in the Fuencarral market.

Places to visit

  • The Prado Museum: The Prado Museum is one of the finest museums in Europe. It is situated on the stylish Paseo del Prado, a lovely part of Madrid with the Retiro park just a short walk and right next to the Ritz Hotel, the Palace Hotel, the fountain of Neptune and the stock exchange. It has some great art and large museum, best place to hang out.
  • Puerta del Sol: Puerta del Sol is one of the most important of Madrid's squares. It is the place where young people meet; where people stop off to go to the Plaza Mayor and old Madrid; a department and smaller stores.
  • Plaza Mayor: The centre of the square is occupied by a statue of Philip III who was responsible for the construction of the square. The Plaza Mayor was once the focal point of the old city, where bullfights, royal coronations and even the inquisition took place.
  • Retiro Park - Madrid's main park: it is the most popular and widely visited park in Madrid. On a Sunday afternoon you will see Madrilenos walking with their families in the park and being entertained by the multitude of street entertainers. Retiro is also a central meeting point for all sorts of people, such as roller skating youngsters, football players and joggers of all ages.

Architecture

  • During the earlier days medieval buildings are the mudejar towers of San Nicolas and San Pedro el Viejo churches, the palace of Lujan family, the Gothic church of St. Jerome, part of a monastery built by the Catholic Monarchs in the fifteenth century, and the Bishop's Chapel.
  • Many of the historic buildings of Madrid were built during the reign of the Hapsburgs. The material used was mostly brick and the humble facades contrast with the elaborate interiors. Juan Gomez de Mora built notable buildings such as Casa de la Villa, Prison of the Court and Royal Convent of La Encarnacion. The Buen Retiro Palace was a vanished work by Alonso Carbonel, today on the grounds of the Retiro Park, with beautiful rooms decorated by the best artists in times of Philip IV.

Transportation

Road
Roads: Madrid is the most important hub of Spain's motorway network and is surrounded by four orbital motorways: M30, M40, M45 and M50. M30 circles the central districts and is the inner ring motorway of Madrid.
buses
Buses: This railway network is ably supported by an ever-expanding network of city buses. The overall length of the bus network of Madrid's Municipal Transport Corporation in 2008, when 426 million passengers were transported, stood at 3,690 km, marking a 31% increase over the last eight years.
metro
Train: Spain's railway system, the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Espanoles operates the vast majority of Spain's railways. Cercanias Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanias Renfe, the commuter rail division of Renfe. The total length spans 339.1 km. Main rail terminals are Atocha in the south and Chamartin in the north.

Visa Information

Indian Embassy at Madrid
Consulate General of India Avenida Pio XII 30-32, 28016 Madrid Main (Spain).
Telephone + 34-91-3450406 / 0209
Fax + 34-91-3451112
Timings Forms for business visas are accepted between 1130 hrs and 1230 hrs.
Embassy :8:30 to 13:30, 14:00 to 17:00.
Consular services: 9:00 to 12:30.
domestic travel insurance

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