This Snapshot guide, excerpted from my guidebook Rick Steves Spain, introduces you to majestic Madrid. Spain’s capital is home to some of Europe’s top art treasures (the Prado Museum’s collection, plus Picasso’s Guernica in the Reina Sofía) and a lively selection of characteristic tapas bars, where you can assemble a memorable feast of Spanish specialties. Explore the city’s cozy-feeling historic core, tour its lavish Royal Palace, and beat the heat on a rowboat at the lush and inviting Retiro Park.
This book also covers several side-trips from Madrid. Toledo, the hill-capping onetime capital of Spain, features one of the country’s most magnificent cathedrals, a medieval vibe, and top paintings by favorite son El Greco. Northwest of Madrid, you’ll find Spain’s grandest palace at the Inquisition-era El Escorial, a jarring jolt of the 20th century at Franco’s Valley of the Fallen, and a pair of charming towns: Segovia, with its towering Roman aqueduct, and Ávila, encircled by a medieval wall.
To help you have the best trip possible, I’ve included the following topics in this book:
• Planning Your Time, with advice on how to make the most of your limited time
• Orientation, including tourist information offices (abbreviated as TI), tips on public transportation, local tour options, and helpful hints
• Sights with ratings:
▲▲▲—Don’t miss
▲▲—Try hard to see
▲—Worthwhile if you can make it
No rating—Worth knowing about
• Sleeping and Eating, with good-value recommendations in every price range
• Connections, with tips on trains, buses, and driving
Practicalities, near the end of this book, has information on money, staying connected, lodging, restaurants, transportation, and other helpful hints, plus Spanish survival phrases.
To travel smartly, read this little book in its entirety before you go. It’s my hope that this guide will make your trip more meaningful and rewarding. Traveling like a temporary local, you’ll get the absolute most out of every mile, minute, and dollar.
Buen viaje!
