The Rough Guide to Madrid - Softcover

Baskett, Simon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1858288916 ISBN 13: 9781858288918

Publisher: Rough Guides, 2003

Synopsis

INTRODUCTION

Madrid became Spain’s capital city at the whim of one man, Felipe II. Its site possesses few natural advantages – a fierce climate, no harbour and a poor excuse for a river – but it lies exactly in the centre of Spain, and in 1561, Felipe decided to base the formerly itinerant court here to avoid giving too much power and status to any one region. In Madrid he created a symbol of the unification and centralization of the country, and a capital from which he could receive the fastest post and communications from each corner of the nation. However, it was only the determination of successive rulers to promote a strong central capital that ensured the city’s survival and development.

Today, Madrid is a large, predominantly modern city, with a population of four million and a highly schizophrenic character. There are, in effect, two cities: "Madrid by day" and "Madrid by night"; the capital is freezing in winter, burning in summer; outwardly flamboyant, yet inwardly conservative; seemingly affluent, yet concealing serious levels of poverty. The highest, sunniest and greenest capital city in Europe – despite being choked with traffic and people – its inhabitants, the Madrileños, modestly declare, "Desde Madrid al Cielo": that after Madrid there is only one destination left – Heaven.

Largely a city of immigrants, it’s difficult to find a person whose real roots are in Madrid, apart from the castizos who proudly exhibit their Madrileño heritage during the San Isidro festival and the summer verbenas (street fairs). As a consequence, the city is a mosaic of traditions, cultures and cuisines and you soon realize that it is the Madrileños themselves who are the capital’s key attraction: hanging out in the cafés or the summer terrazas, packing the lanes of the Rastro flea market, or playing hard and very, very late in a thousand bars, clubs and discos.

The nightlife for which Madrid is renowned is merely an extension of the Madrileño character. Much of their everyday life is acted out in the streets; they dress up whenever possible, never wanting to be seen at anything but their best; and they are noisy – horns blare, TVs are set at full blast and conversations are conducted at top volume. Madrileños consider the nightlife of other European cities positively dull by comparison with that of their own and whatever Barcelona might claim, the Madrid scene, immortalized in the movies of Pedro Almodóvar, remains the most vibrant in the country.

The city which was once accused of provincialism has changed immeasurably in the nearly thirty years since Franco died, initially guided by the late and much-lamented poet-mayor, Tierno Galván. His efforts, including the creation of parks and the renovation of public spaces and public life, have left an enduring legacy, and were a vital ingredient of the Movida Madrileña, the "happening Madrid", with which the city made its mark in the 1980s. Today, ongoing improvements are being made to the transport network, and there are ambitious plans to extend the Paseo de la Castellana – the multi-lane artery road that bisects the city – further north and construct a series of sports facilities as part of a bid for the 2012 Olympics.

The Movida may have gone but Madrid has emerged as a stylish city and important European capital, highly conscious of its image and in better shape than it has been for many years.

About this title

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WHAT TO SEE

As a tourist destination, Madrid has been greatly underrated. It may not boast the outstanding architectural riches of more historic cities in Spain, but it is home to three magnificent museums the Prado, the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza which have long ensured the city a claim to the title of "European capital of art". Apart from these superlative collections, Madrid has a host of other attractions which, when combined with some of the best tapas in Spain, countless bars and legendary nightlife, make it easy to see why so many people get hooked when they visit.

The layout of the city is pretty straightforward and the main sights are clustered in a very compact centre where you re likely to spend most of your time. At the heart of the city and of Spain is the Puerta del Sol and around it lie the oldest parts of the capital, neatly bordered to the west by the Río Manzanares, to the east by the park of El Retiro, and to the north by the city s great thoroughfare, the Gran Vía. Throughout the guide all street names are abbreviated, using c/ for calle (street) and omitting the articles "de", "de la", etc. Calle de Toledo, for example, is c/Toledo and Calle de la Libertad, c/Libertad. Although on Madrid street signs the full name is often used, Spaniards nearly always use the abbreviated form.

The Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía lie in a "golden triangle" just west of El Retiro along the Paseo del Prado, and are a must for anyone with even a passing interest in art. Over towards the river are the oldest, Habsburg, parts of town, centred on the touristy but beautiful arcaded Plaza Mayor, instigated by Spain s greatest king, Felipe II. The royal theme continues to the west of here with the impressive bulk of the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), while to the south lie the cosmopolitan barrios of La Latina and Lavapiés, with their fascinating history, myriad eating and drinking options, and the famous Rastro flea market.

After Gran Vía with its cinemas, shops and monumental architecture, the most important streets are c/Mayor and its continuation c/Alcalá which cut through the centre from the Palacio Real to Plaza de la Cibeles and are home to several quirkier shops and the fine art collections of the Real Academia de San Fernando and the long south north boulevard beginning as the elegant Paseo del Prado and finishing up as the multi-lane Paseo de la Castellana, famous for its summer terrazas. Although there s plenty of nightlife in the city centre, especially around Plaza de Santa Ana and Huertas, you may also find yourself venturing further north to the barrios of Chueca and Malasaña for the hippest bars and clubs.

Day-trips from the city include some of Spain s most splendid historic cities. Above all there s Toledo, immortalized by El Greco, which preceded Madrid as the Spanish capital, but other excellent excursions include Segovia, with its stunning Roman aqueduct; Felipe II s vast palace-mausoleum of El Escorial; Aranjuez, a riverside oasis in the parched Castilian plain, famed for its strawberries and lavish Baroque palace; and the beautiful walled city of Ávila, birthplace of Santa Teresa. The nearby mountains, the Sierra de Guadarrama, with their walking trails and lower temperatures, can also provide a welcome escape if the heat and bustle of the city get too much. Calling Madrid from abroad, dial your international access code, then 34, followed by the subscriber s number, which will nearly always start with 91.

WHEN TO GO

Traditionally, Madrid has a typical continental climate, cold and dry in winter and hot and dry in summer. There are usually two rainy periods, in October/November and any time from late March to early May. With soaring temperatures in July and August, the best times to visit are often spring and autumn, when the city is pleasantly warm. The short, sharp winter takes many visitors by surprise, but crisp sunny days with clear blue skies compensate for the drop in temperatures.

Although Madrid is increasingly falling into line with other European capitals, much of it still shuts down in summer. For around six weeks from the end of July, half the bars, restaurants and offices close, and their inhabitants head for the coast or countryside. Luckily for visitors, and those Madrileños who choose to remain, sights and museums stay open and nightlife takes on a momentum of its own. In addition, the council has initiated a programme of summer entertainment, meaning it s not a bad time to be in town, as long as you re not trying to get anything done.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rough Guides
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1858288916
• ISBN 13: 9781858288918
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 368