Madrid Guide

MADRID GUIDE building bridges asociación

How to get to Madrid ?

Adolfo Suárez - Barajas is the airport where you can reach the city of Madrid: it is the largest in Europe by physical size. It allows you to arrive in the capital of Spain from every country on Earth, because the airport serves many flights from almost 100 different airlines. The cheapest ones are Ryanair, Vueling, Wizzair and EasyJet. Madrid’s airport is quite close to the city center so it is easy to get from the airport to the center; by subway (rose line number 8, about 30 mins and 3 euros); by

taxi (about 20 mins and 30 euros); by bus (about 30 mins and 5 euros); by train (about 20/30 mins and 2,60 euros). Renfe (renfe.es) is the only spanishrailway, which is fast and comfortable. If you plan a trip in advance you might save much money.

Except for the subway, it’s possible to by online tickets and to ask for taxi by mobile applications.

Travel to Spain

A very popular way to travel in Spain is “carpooling” . Blablacar.es is a portal that offers a “paidautostop” , meaning that you can go with someone by his or her own car and only pay for gas. Not only do tourists travel like this, spanish peoples do it every day because it is the cheapest way to get to your hometown or other cities. It is fairly safe because you can check someone’s account on the blablacar.es website first, like on eBay. All of the users have profiles with all of their information and other users’ opinions about them.

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Transport in Madrid Madrid has one of the best city transport network in the world Madrid has a very well orga-

have different language op-

nized systemofpublictransport.

tions

There are many different sub-

There you can buy one- way

way lines and buses to choose

tickets or reusable ones, like 10-

from. The Subway is an un-

way tickets or abono – a special

derground system of 12 lines

city card for all public trans-

connected each other. Metro

port for 30 days. People under

lines are also connected with

25 years of age also have a spe-

Renfe trains (Renfe cercanias)

cial discount. Taxis are cheap

which ride to the other parts of

in Madrid, but there is no real

Madrid, out of the city center.

need of taxis thanks to the well

There are plenty of buses as well

organized public transporta-

which run 24/7, so during the

tions. The Spanish capital has a

night too. You can buy subway

mild climate which means that

and bus tickets in every station.

almost all the year there is great

There are special ticket ma-

weather to ride a bike. The

chines, which

winters are cold in Madrid

including

English.

but temperatures are never below zero degrees.

Generally it’s sunny, and riding a bike on the street is ver y common in here -you can buy a cheap, second-hand bike on “segundamano.es.” or “wallapop”-.

*the subway is more comfortable than paper boat

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What to do in your free time?

Madrid offers a lot of options on how to occupy your free time.The best source of information about what is happening right now in Madrid is of course the Internet or the word of mouth. If you don’t have a big budget you can participate in cultural and social events that you can find in the internet portal “madridgratis.net”, which is full of current and free offers.

On madridfree.com you can also find information about events in Madrid. Tickets for exhibitions, concerts or movie projections can also be obtained for free or for only few euros.

The Spanish calendar abounds in feasts and holidays, which are celebrated by people on Madrid’s streets. It is better to check on the Internet what the government is preparing for the next national holiday or high day like Christmas, Three Kings day, Carnival or Easter.The Matadero, the Tabacalera or El Campo de Cebada are good examples of interesting areas to visit, this places are examples of remodeled struc-

tures. The Matadero is also joined by Madrid Rio park and on a sunny day is nice to rent a bike and go up throughout the park, and maybe organize a small picnic.

During the summer there aren’t many cultural events because July and August are summer holidays in Spain and most of the locals leave Madrid to go to the north of Spain and spend their vacation on the coast. During this time the best option is to organize some fun activities to do – rent a bike, go for a ride around Retiro Park, make a picnic with friends or go to one of the public open-air swimming pools.

Do you wanna enjoy Madrid? a

caler la Taba

Let´s go!

El Matadero

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Where to live?

A lot of districts for a lot of choices In Madrid you can find many zones which are nice, quiet and good for living for an extended amount of time.

It is hard to say which one is the best because the most important thing is to live in an area which interests you the most and which is close to your university or work. If you like to go out a lot and be close to social and art life, you should think about moving into the city center (close to Puerta del Sol or Tribunal subway station). In the city center there are plenty of restaurants, clubs, pubs and other places which offer various different forms of entertainment every day

and night. However, this area is also always full of tourists and can be quite noisy and very expensive. The most expensive apartments are found around Puerta del Sol and Retiro Park.

For this reason it is better to look for apartments or rooms to rent in other zones which are further away from the center but with a fast subway you can still get there in 10-15 minutes.

These zones include Moncloa, la Latina or Delicias. These areas have housing estates and parks. The cheapest apartments are in the suburbs of Madrid out of zone A. These parts are quite far from the city center

but generally have swimming pools for their occupants, cheaper rent and higher standards.

To find rooms or apartments for rent you can use websites such as idealista.com , fotocas a.es.

Usually Spanish apartment have a separate livingroom and it is hard to find studios or double rooms because they are not very common. Many places don’t have heating or only electric heating (which is very expensive) so you have to be mindful of that. Especially when you go to Madrid during the wintertime.

*MalasaĂąa, clothes and a variety of funky shops can be found in this somewhat alternative quarter of Madrid.

The range of bars, restaurants and places you find there are very diverse. *LavapiĂŠs is the more multicultural quarter of Madrid and is deeply influenced from the African, Arab and gitana cultures. You can find many Arabic and Indian restaurants.

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What to visit?

Like in every tourist city, in Madrid there are “must-see” points where everyone who is visiting Madrid need to go. These places are : Retiro Park, Prado and Reina Sofia museum, Plaza Mayor and The Royal Palace. But if you stay longer in the Spanish capital, you will be lucky to see so much more than what is in all of tourist guides. During a sunny day you can go for a walk through the Botanical gardens, in Retiro Park or

to other parklands like Oeste Park, Casa del Campo, Juan Carlos Park or the green area around Templo de Debod, where you can see old ruins of the temple.This uphill monument is the best place to go to see sunset in Madrid.Spain invests a lot in art – the capital has many public and private galleries wich present pieces of contemporary, modern and classic art. These galleries are Telefonica, Mapfre or Caixa Forum. You can visit these ins-

titutions for free or for a couple of euros, wich hold many paintings and other visual arts, not only from Spain, but also from all around the world.In Madrid renovated buildings and old churches embellish Madrid’s streets and attract tourists and architecture enthusiasts from all over the world. In Madrid but it is enough to go for a stroll in the street to see street art and discover little open air museums -the Mercado de la Cebada is a good example-.

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Where to eat?

In Madrid there are the more or less secret premises to eat or simply to take something, that he is in company or single, they will allow you to take advantage of it in the best way thanks to the atmosphere created with his architectures.

01.Amazonico Velázquez

The route begins in the District of Salamanca, in an exotic and original restaurant, specialized in the fusion of the Brazilian/ amazonian kitchen, with the one of other neighboring of Asian countries. In the Amazonico(Jorge Juan, 20; +34 915 15 43 32), you will enjoyed their food’s specialities as the “arepitas,” the “brochetas” or the “carabineros”, arounded by a vintage atmospher and you will maybe find a session of jazz. In the patio there is a big giraffe, and a peacock is elevated between the modern public.

02. Habanera Serrano

Luminous and attractive thanks to its festive and Havanan spirit, the low part simulates a refining Cuban patio while above you can find an installation of trunks with a furniture art-déco carrying out the decoration (Genoa, 28; +34 917 37 20 17). In order to ask, you has the choice between variety that goes from old clothes to trufada tortilla. And cocktails, clearly. This restaurant is oriented towards vegans and vegetarian companions at table in some of her premises, like Frida and Dry Martina, both in the Salesas district.

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05. Mercado de San Ildefonso

03. El Jardín de SB

Tribunal

Gran Via

We entered the Salvador Bachiller store of the Montera street to take the elevator up to the roof. The door opens in front of a full terrace of vegetation and flowers, with chairs and tables.In the Garden of SB, the waitresses go dressed like stewardesses and in the menu, with a form of trip agenda, they show varied plates to itch, options of breakfast, brunch and snacks.Also there are cocktails with tropical dressings and customized messages.The Vip Lounge, in the third plant, also counts on a DJ from Thursday to Sunday nights.

04. Cebo

Sol/Sevilla

Located in front of the Congress, the Urban Hotel also welcomes a restaurant that looks for a redefinition (Race of San Jerónimo, 34; +34 917 87 77 70).

There is expensive champenois in reserving and, to the bottom, a patio for smokers with a view to an olive tree where you can receive the autumn tasting the fusion of the Madrilenian’s food with the Catalan’s best inspirations.

This renewed Madrilenian market renders tribute to street food in its different spaces.

Account with 15 monothematic positions in the second plant, where they serve food to take away or to eat on high stools.

In its interior, between walls of homeland, wood and climbing plants. The terrace of the Market of San Ildefonso (Fuencarral, 57; +34 915 59 13 00) invites you to taste the whims acquired by the market stands. Also there are skewers (of meat or vegetarians), twelve varieties of croquettes with sauces, hot dogs and hamburgers, and a fabulous wine position.

06. El Invernadero de SB Plaza de España

The Invernadero de SB, alter ego of the Jardín de SB, is lowering the Gran Via. Instead of a rustic roof, we will find a refining urban restaurant, also filled with plants, and visited by a customer eager for new experiences. The Invernadero (Gran Via, 65; +34 915 40 17 29) serve cocktails and juices detox, like the one of melon heart, in tropical containers.

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07. Cafe del jardín Tribunal

09. Bosco de Lobos Chueca

In the district of Malasaña we can found the cafeteria and the garden of the Museum of the Romanticism (San Mateo, 13; +34 914 48 10 45) recreating the spirit of century XIX in a small palace that counts on 26 exhibition halls of romantic artists. The museum, of 1924, survived the Civil War and was closed during eight years for works. In 2011, it opened the cafeteria, next to the landscaped inner patio, that counts on magnolio centennial, climbing plants and flowers. In the Coffee of the Garden we will be able to opt for the candy, like his famous carrot cake , served in the small tables distributed by this mini park of interior. Also it offers a menu of ecological inspiration.

08. El Paracaidista Tribunal Without leaving Malasaña, we visited a new multispace of several plants, the Paracaidista, where we will be able to buy articles from the last tendencies in fashion to a set of dishes for the hall house, besides wines, conserves, a bicycle or a face cream. In the third plant, the terrace of coctelería Cubanismo offers the possibility of taking a cocktail or a wine between plants of considerable height and views to the tile roofs of the street of the Palm.

The lovers of the modern architecture will enjoy Bosco de Lobos (Hortaleza, 63; +34 915 24 94 64), inside the School of Architects of Madrid (COAM).

This restaurant is located in the building of new construction of architect Gonzalo Moure, realized on the old Pías Schools of San Antón, in 2012.Since then, it welcomes an inner patio and a restaurant of Italian kitchen inspired by a library, with flexos, bookstore and views to a beautiful garden. In summer, there is terrace with parasols. With the cold, they take shelter and the firewood furnace ignites to make rich meats, fish and risottos.

10. LaMalaje Tirso de Molina In bordering of Atocha and Antón Martín, the andalusian patio of the Malaje (Rapporteurs, 20; +34 910 81 30 31) is defined as “a vindication to the kitchen of the South. Its Malagan salad of herrings, or its bienmesabe of dogfish worth the trouble, like the wild corvina to the Sherry or the sirloin with foie. And the typical alfajores of dessert hazelnut. Between robust tables with inverted flowerpots and a carnation, there are views to a patio glazed without access.

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What to visit close to Madrid?

You wants to discover new places without to move yourself too much from Madrid? Let’s begin!

01. ALCALA DE HENARES To little more than 30 kilometers we found Alcala de Henares, World heritage site by UNESCO. It is not necessary to say many more. There they waiting for you the School of San Ildefonso -the oldest of Madrid- , the Door of Madrid or the native house of Miguel de Cervantes. And you cannot visit Alcala without realising a shutdown to taste his wonderful covers, that have become an attractiveness more for this beautiful city.

02. ARANJUEZ At 40 kilometers of the capital , we found a place that welcomes in the Real Palace, whose architecture and gardens are a true wonder. Not in vain because they inspired the very same musician Joaquín Rodrigo. It is a cosy locality, with great restaurants looking at the excellent Tajo’s river and with places for outdoors sports.

03. TOLEDO It could not lack in this list a beautiful city as Toledo, it almost an obligation to spend at least one night there.

But if you have the limited time, in a good day you will be able to take a walk by the historical center and to admire the passage of history before returning to Madrid. Another World heritage site by UNESCO in the top ten of the wonderful places.

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04. BUITRAGO DE LOZOYA Buitrago de Lozoya is one of the more beautiful medieval towns of Spain.

It is conserved wonderfully and it still owns 800 meters of 9 wall.

The castle of the Mendoza is also a museum dedicated to Picasso with the works that he gave to his barber, native of this population.

07 SAN LORENZO DEL ESCORIAL We left now to San Lorenzo del Escorial, another forced visit in the neighborhood of Madrid. Its monastery is World heritage site by UNESCO and is without a doubt one of the most imposing than they have been constructed in history. Since we have approached up to there, it is worth the trouble leaving the town and take a walk by the mountain range of Guadarrama, really beautiful and relaxing.

05. OCAÑA Pertaining to Toledo, we found Ocaña.

Another precious town.

It owns a Greater Place with enormous proportions, that was ordinate by Carlos III in 1777.

Its Easter is also famous and are worth the trouble like the other monuments as the Great Source or the Palace of the Cardinal red ones.

06. SEPULVEDA We left Ocaña to Sepúlveda. In this medieval segoviano town we found a place where the time seems to be stopped thanks to a wonderful conservation of the patrimony. In addition, it is placed in the Natural Park of Sickles of the Duratón river, a reason why we can combine historical monuments with nature in pure state.

08 SEGOVIA Another excursion of a day, that from Madrid, worth the trouble, takes us to Segovia.

This Leon Castilian capital owns a fabulous Roman Aqueduct, that is pride of the city and one of the icons of Spain.

This monument is worth the trouble just as like the Old City, also World heritage site by UNESCO. Other peculiar corners are the Real street, the Place of San Martin or the Jewish Quarters.

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09. LA GRANJA DE SAN ILDEFONSO One of the Real Sites of Spain, pertaining to the province of Segovia, counts on a wonderful palace from which it is possible to take a walk discovering his gardens, their stays or their strolls next to the Eresma river.

And, if you can organize your visit, consults which days their famous sources activate and you will attend a really impressive spectacle.

10. CHINCHÓN Chinchón is a Spanish municipality that is in the south-east of the Community of Madrid, in the region of Las Vegas, to fourty-four kilometers of the capital. With a popular architecture, the Greater Place of Chinchón is a classic place of the Middle Ages. The first houses with balconies were constructed in century XV, and was closed totally in century XVII.

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Edit by @LuanaPennestrí 11