What to see in Madrid (AI translated)

I'll try to show the sights, places to eat, and points of transportation on the map below. But the main content of this post is the sights. I'll write about the taverns and food later, because I believe that sights are more important when planning.

The map has four layers of attractions: Madrid attractions, recommendations for trips outside Madrid, Madrid restaurants, and important Madrid public transport points. A minimum program of Madrid attractions would take one day and is rather superficial and concise. It would take 3-4 days to see all the places in Madrid listed on the map. Each departure point would include at least half a day of activities, so you could go in the morning and return in the evening.

Madrid is the largest city in the European Union, there are definitely corners I haven't seen. Also, I think my experiences and recommendations are more related to historical points and food than club culture, theater shows , or sports, etc.

When planning my visit, I would first start by choosing art museums. I think I should visit one of them (walking is the key word here, because there are a lot of steps).

• Museo Nacional de Prado - Spain's most important art museum, with all the historically important paintings. The museum is huge and in order to enjoy the tour, you need to either plan at least 3 hours or choose the halls you want to visit in advance. The better pieces or halls, in my opinion, are related to the Spanish kings and life during the Napoleonic Wars

• Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Museum of modern art and the Academy of Arts. The museum is large, as most of the exhibits are student work, so you can safely walk around. On the other hand, there are Dali, Picasso, Miro here.

• Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza - Something in between the two previous museums. This is the art collection of one of Spain's most influential metalworking family owners. Most of the paintings are either classicist or early modern. There are Spanish artists, as well as artists from elsewhere. This museum is a bit more impressive in size than the previous two.

You can earn extra points by visiting other art museums. They are a bit smaller, cozier, and more clearly defined in terms of their style.

• Museo de Romaticisimo - Museum of Romanticism, the best exhibits of which are rather high-class furniture for the era.

• Museo Banksy - A museum about Banksy, where his works are copied and grouped according to location. A bit of a long read, meaning each work is described with its background.

• Museo Sorolla - The artist's house museum. Paintings mainly on the theme of the Spanish middle class at the beginning of the 20th century.

Another must-see is the Royal Palace. In this regard, there is a choice of whether to visit the palace in Madrid or Aranjuez. The Aranjuez Palace was first built as a test, then a new and larger one was built in Madrid. So many rooms, furniture and style overlap. It takes longer to visit the Madrid Palace, but on the other hand, the visit includes the royal armory (mainly armor), and there is the possibility of visiting the royal kitchen and the collection of royal musical instruments if you book in advance. It is strongly recommended to buy tickets in advance to visit the Madrid Palace, so as not to have to stand in line for 1-2 hours to enter. Even then, there is a possibility that the palace will be closed due to some foreign visit.

I would definitely recommend visiting the Royal Collection Museum, which is located next to the Madrid Palace. It is shorter, more concentrated and more impressive in its scope. Regardless of visiting the Madrid Palace, you should visit the Royal Collection Museum.

Madridi palee esine (palee oli siis külastajatele suletud sest COVID)

The following points are mandatory walking points. More like things to look at, think, "Wow," maybe take a picture, and move on.

• Gran Via - Shopping street with impressive facades

• Plaza Mayor - Former main square

• Plaza Sol - The new main square and the center of mainland Spain

• Parque Retiro - The city's largest and most important park

Gran Via 12. juunil

Other more interesting recommended points are according to everyone's taste. I have liked

• Railway Museum,

• San Isidro Museum, or Museum of the Foundation of Madrid,

• Museum of the History of the Madrid Region,

• Chamberi Metro Station Museum. The station was closed in the 1950s. All the advertisements and contents from that time have been left as they were.

• Museum of Spanish Folk Costumes, Suits, Uniforms, etc.

• American Museum, or a collection of stolen items.

• Bernabeu, Real Madrid museum/tour.

Compared to Estonia, there are generally fewer museums as such. On the other hand, there are definitely more architecture, churches, cathedrals, and just interesting points. For me, the best part of Madrid is walking, looking at the facades, looking for points with a good view. When my stomach gets empty, I find a place to eat that seems "right" while walking. What is right for eating and a pub/cafe/restaurant is different compared to Estonia. I will make a separate post about that later, but right now you can already see the first points about eating on the same map.