Insight Guides Pocket Madrid (Travel Guide eBook)
()
About this ebook
Perfect day itineraries and top travel tips in a pocket-sized package.
Plan your trip, plan perfect days and discover how to get around - this pocket-sized guide is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering fun and interesting things to do and see in Madrid, from top tourist attractions like Plaza Mayor, the Prado, El Escorial, Puerta del Sol and Plaza Santa Ana to hidden gems, including Parque del Been Retiro.
Compact, concise and packed with essential information about Where to Go and What to Do, this is an ideal on-the-move pocket travel guide when you're exploring Madrid.
- Cultural: delve into the city's rich heritage and get to know its modern-day life and people
- Inspirational: discover where to go and what to do, highlighted with stunning photography
- Practical: get around with ease with a free pull-out map featuring key attractions
- Informative: plan your visit with an A to Z of advice on everything from transport to tipping
- Inventive design makes for an engaging, easy-reading experience
- Covers: Old Madrid, Paseo del Prado, Recoletos and Castellana and Malasana and Chueca.
About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.
Insight Guides
Insight Guides wherever possible uses local experts who provide insider know-how and share their love and knowledge of the destination.
Read more from Insight Guides
Insight Guides Mexico (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insight Guides Pocket Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insight Guides Pocket Vietnam (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides India (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Pocket Budapest (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insight Guides Pocket Canary Islands (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insight Guides Explore Singapore (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Indonesia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Malaysia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Paris (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Insight Guides Experience Rome (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Norway (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Stockholm (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Explore New Zealand (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Explore Boston (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Pocket Scotland (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insight Guides Costa Rica (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Pocket Munich & Bavaria (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Explore Copenhagen (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Sydney (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insight Guides Explore Costa Rica (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Porto (Travel Guide eBook): (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Dubai (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Morocco (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Pocket Andalucia & Costa del Sol (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Namibia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Great Railway Journeys of Europe (Travel Guide eBook): (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Valencia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Explore Quebec (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Insight Guides Pocket Madrid (Travel Guide eBook)
Related ebooks
Lonely Planet Madrid Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Barcelona Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Frommer's Barcelona day by day Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rough Guide to Spain (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides City Guide Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Andalucia & Costa del Sol (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Portugal (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFour Days in Barcelona Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Valencia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Mini Rough Guide to New York (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBerlitz Pocket Guide Valencia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Explore Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFodor's Barcelona: with Highlights of Catalonia Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Valencia & Costa Blanca Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Pocket Madrid Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Berlitz Pocket Guide Andalucia & Costa del Sol (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mini Rough Guide to Porto (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBerlitz Pocket Guide Lisbon (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrommer's Portugal Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Lisbon (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeville Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Mallorca (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Mini Rough Guide to Mallorca (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Great Breaks Edinburgh (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Guide to Seville: Five Walking Tours Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Spain (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Frommer's Shortcut Andalucia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Explore Copenhagen (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBerlitz Pocket Guide Munich & Bavaria (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Explore Andalucia & Costa del Sol (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Europe Travel For You
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Family and Other Animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Neither here nor there: Travels in Europe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Creeper: an atmospheric, chilling horror from the author of The Watchers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Notes from a Small Island Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Huckleberry Finn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Learn Spanish : How To Learn Spanish Fast In Just 168 Hours (7 Days) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Unlocking Spanish with Paul Noble Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frommer's Ireland 2020 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsForest Walking: Discovering the Trees and Woodlands of North America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frommer's Italy 2020 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEasy Learning Spanish Conversation: Trusted support for learning Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNorth: How to Live Scandinavian Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Corfu Trilogy: My Family and Other Animals; Birds, Beasts and Relatives; and The Garden of the Gods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Garden of the Gods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Formula One Racing For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Travel Guide to Ireland: From Dublin to Galway and Cork to Donegal - a complete guide to the Emerald Isle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFodor's Bucket List Europe: From the Epic to the Eccentric, 500+ Ultimate Experiences Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrommer's Spain Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEasy Learning Italian Conversation: Trusted support for learning Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lysistrata Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Insight Guides Pocket Madrid (Travel Guide eBook)
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Insight Guides Pocket Madrid (Travel Guide eBook) - Insight Guides
How To Use This E-Book
Getting Around the e-Book
This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Madrid, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.
The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Madrid, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights in Madrid are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Madrid. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.
© 2019 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd
Table of Contents
Madrid’s Top 10 Attractions
Top Attraction #1
Top Attraction #2
Top Attraction #3
Top Attraction #4
Top Attraction #5
Top Attraction #6
Top Attraction #7
Top Attraction #8
Top Attraction #9
Top Attraction #10
A Perfect Day In Madrid
Introduction
The heart of Spain
Culture and nightlife
Geography
Architecture
Modernity and tradition
Options from Madrid
A Brief History
Spain’s Golden Age
Madrid’s rise to Capital
Decline and decadence
The Civil War
Modern Spain
Historical landmarks
Where To Go
Old Madrid
Plaza Mayor
Plaza de la Villa
La Morería and La Latina
Palacio Real
Almudena Cathedral
Plaza de Oriente and Opera
Puerta del Sol
Huertas and Santa Ana
Lavapiés
Calle de Alcalá to Plaza de Cibeles
Paseo del Prado
Museo del Prado
Highlights of the Prado
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Atocha
Other museums
Parque del Retiro
Real Jardín Botánico
Recoletos and Castellana
Around the Paseo de Recoletos
Colón
Along the Castellana
Salamanca
Gran Vía, Malasaña and Chueca
Gran Vía
Malasaña
Chueca
Plaza de España
South of Princesa
Moncloa and the West
Casa de Campo
Excursions
El Escorial
Valle de los Caídos
Toledo
Segovia
Aranjuez
Chinchón
Ávila
What To Do
Shopping
What to buy
Entertainment
Nightlife
Music and theatre
Sports
Children’s Madrid
Calendar of events
Eating Out
Mealtimes
Restaurants and menus
Castilian specialities
Regional specialities
Drinks
Opening hours, payment and prices
Reading the Menu
To help you order…
The basics…
…and read the menu
Restaurants
plaza mayor and la latina
Huertas, Santa Ana and Lavapiés
Palacio Real and Opera
Sol, Gran VIa and Chueca
Salamanca, Castellana and Prado
Outside madrid
Ávila
San Lorenzo El Escorial
Segovia
Toledo
A–Z Travel Tips
A
Accommodation
Airport
B
Bicycle rental
Budgeting for your trip
C
Camping
Car hire
Climate
Clothing
Crime and safety
D
Driving
E
Electricity
Embassies and consulates
Emergencies (see also Health and medical care and Police)
G
Getting there (see also Airport and Driving)
Guides and tours
H
Health and medical care
L
Language
LGBTQ travellers
M
Maps
Media
Money
O
Opening times
P
Police
Post offices
Public holidays
R
Religion
T
Telephones
Time zones
Tipping
Toilets
Tourist information
Transport
V
Visas and entry requirements
W
Websites and internet access
Y
Youth hostels
Recommended Hotels
Sol, Plaza Mayor, Santa Ana
palacio real and opera
Gran Vía, Chueca, Plaza de España
Salamanca and the Prado
Outside Madrid
Ávila
Segovia
Toledo
Madrid’s Top 10 Attractions
Top Attraction #1
Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications
Plaza Mayor
Take a seat at a terrace café and watch the world go by at the busy centre of local social life. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #2
Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina SofÍa
A popular showcase of art of the 20th and 21st centuries, including work by Picasso and Luis Buñuel. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #3
Getty Images
Puerta del Sol
The plaza’s clock tower overlooks the bustling heart of Madrid and chimes in Spain’s New Year revelry. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #4
Shutterstock
El Escorial
The palace created by Felipe II, where Spain’s Golden Age is writ large. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #5
Public domain
The Prado
Spain’s rich artistic heritage is conserved in one of the world’s most prestigious museums. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #6
Corbis
Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales
A unique chance to see the artistic heritage of a working convent over 450 years. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #7
Shutterstock
Plaza Santa Ana
A great place to start el tapeo, the ‘tapas crawl’. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #8
Shutterstock
Palacio Real
Elegant centre of royal Madrid. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #9
Getty Images
La Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida
Goya’s frescoes adorn the cupola of this 18th-century chapel. For more information, click here.
Top Attraction #10
iStock
Parque del Buen Retiro
Its trees, lawns and lake make this Madrid’s most child-friendly green space. For more information, click here.
A Perfect Day In Madrid
9.00am
Santa Ana
Join locals for coffee and fried churros as the day gets underway on this classic tree-lined plaza in the city’s 18th-century quarter. Don’t miss the colourful tiled friezes on bars around the square.
10.00am
Green oasis
Explore the beautifully tended Real Jardín Botánico where dahlias were first planted in Europe. Three greenhouses are filled with desert and tropical flora and there is an appealing garden gift shop.
11.00am
The Prado
Visit one of the world’s greatest art galleries. Do not miss the restored Renaissance Patio de los Jerónimos. The Spanish paintings, largely collected by the royal family, include masterworks by Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Goya.
1.00pm
Art and aperitivos
Take a break in the top floor café of Herzog de Meuron’s CaixaForum arts centre where you can sip an aperitivo and look down on the adjacent vertical garden, a rich tapestry of globally sourced plant varieties.
2.00pm
Classic cocido
Madrid’s celebrated chickpea stew, or cocido, with its own soup and vegetables, is cooked the old-fashioned way in earthenware pots over charcoal at La Bola, where you lunch with locals at a leisurely pace.
4.00pm
Guernica
Pablo Picasso conceived Guernica, one of the 20th century’s greatest paintings, as a protest against the Nazi bombing of the Basque village, in 1937. See it hanging alongside his preparatory drawings on the second floor of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
5.30pm
Shop till you drop
Pedestrianised Calle de Fuencarral, running off Gran Vía, is the city’s most fashionable shopping drag. Here you can find hip Spanish fashion brands from Camper shoes to Custo and Hoss Intropia clothes, plus other European fashion. Cafés, bars and ice cream parlours offer retreats from the street.
7.30pm
Tapas time
Enjoy the city’s magical dusk light with a paseo, or evening stroll, through the sloping old streets that link the Plaza Mayor to the Cava Baja in