Although tourists sometimes neglect to visit Madrid and head instead for the sexy design and sophistication of Barcelona to the east or the steamy tradition and flamenco dancing of Seville to the south, Spain’s landlocked capital is a cosmopolitan destination that offers both jaw-dropping cultural options and rich historical details, as well as a pleasing glut of old
world and nouvelle cuisine.
American Airlines flies from JFK to Madrid daily, with flight 94 leaving New York at 5:25 p.m.
Madrid.
What better way to get started after your flight than with chocolate con churros? Similar to the sugared Mexican version, but not quite as sweet, this is a quintessential breakfast/latenight Madrid treat that’s served at cafeterías, chocolaterías and churrerías throughout the city. We recommend you try the famous Chocolateria San Gines, located in the historic center of the city, which arguably serves the best in the city and has the sort of old world ambience that everyone craves. Plus, you’ll want to store up your energy for the amount of museum stomping
in store for the trip.
The three main museums—The Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza—are located near one another and could be consumed in a day (a group ticket, “El Paseo del Arte,” is even available), but that may be a bit of cultural overload. The Prado is one of the world’s premier art museums and its recent extension and renovation by starchitect Rafael Moneo may be subtle—creating much-needed space for the vast collection—but it hasn’t changed the main draw: the hall of Velasquez paintings, including the stunning “Las Meninas.”
What’s so refreshing about this “Spanish Louvre” is that, despite the inevitable crowds, there’s nothing like the claustrophobic scrum of “Mona Lisa” photo takers that one finds in Paris. Instead you’re left to admire the staggering rooms brimming with Goya’s dark “black paintings,” the El Grecos and rooms full of Bosch (or as he’s known in Spanish, El Bosco). But don’t let all of that heady art history intake keep you from the Reina Sofia—with its exterior glass elevators and Jean Nouvel Ferrari-red extension—which houses Picasso’s incredible “Guernica.” That painting is also amazingly accessible (simply “protected” behind a velvet rope), and displayed near a trove of Dali’s paintings and other modern and contemporary masterpieces that don’t get shown often in many American museums.
After all this museum hopping, grab a bocadillo, or sandwich, and take a break at the nearby Atocha station. Although it’s the main hub for trains, the old 19th-century train station has been converted to a sort of rainforest, one that even gets regular sprinkler mists to keep things tropical, and is a relaxing place to take a break between cultural spots. It’s close by to the Retrio Park—a great people watching locale.
Another popular must-see is Palacio Real, and the royal palace is indeed a gem among the city’s numerous historical sites. After visiting, however, make sure to save time to visit the Templo de Debod. The Egyptian state donated the ancient temple to Spain in 1968 when it was threatened by the construction of the Aswan Dam. It was rebuilt in the Parque del Oeste, near the royal palace, and may seem familiar to New Yorkers since it’s a cousin to the Temple of Dendur in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
