Top 10 BEST Things to Do in Madrid

Planning a trip to Madrid and not sure what to do? Madrid offers everything your heart desires in terms of culture, nightlife and sports. These are our top 10 activities for Madrid, Spain's vibrant capital.

1. Prado National Museum

The Prado has is the home of one of the largest art collections in the world, and is best known for its diverse assortment of works by Velasquez, Goya and El Greco.

2. Parque del Retiro

The Parque del Retiro is a peaceful park centered around a beautiful lake and the ideal location for a lunch break  or picknick.

3. Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

The Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is the home of Real Madrid and a must-see for any football enthusiast.

4. Royal Palace of Madrid

The Royal Palace (Spanish: Palacio Real) is Madrid's city palace and the official residence of the Spanish royal family.

5. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum offers visitors an overview of art from the 13th to the late 20th century. . In the almost 1000 works on display, the visitor can discover the most important epochs and pictorial schools of Western art, such as the Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Romanticism and the art of the 19th and 20th centuries.

6. Gran Via

Gran Vía was Madrid's largest and most important shopping street until the 1960s. Today there are still numerous boutiques, cinemas, ice cream parlours and theatres. It begins near the Plaza de Cibeles: at the junction with Calle de Alcalá is the Metropolis building. From there it goes up to the intersection with Calle Montera and Calle de Fuencarral (Red de San Luis), where the Telefónica Tower is located. There is also the Gran Vía station of metro lines 1 and 5. Gran Vía then continues to Plaza del Callao and then downhill to Plaza de España.

7. Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor (engl. main square) is located in the centre of Madrid, the Spanish capital, just a few meters from the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza de la Villa, directly on Calle Mayor.

8. Puerta del Sol

The Puerta del Sol (eng.: "Gate of the Sun") is one of the most famous and most visited squares in Madrid. Puerta del Sol is home to, among other things, the zero-kilometre stone of Spain's six main national roads, which stretch in a star shape from Madrid across the entire Spanish mainland. 

9. Barrio de Salamanca

The Barrio de Salamanca, probably the poshest and most conservative section of Madrid was developed through the investments of the Marquis of Salamanca.

10. Mercado San Miguel

Mercado San Miguel is a MUST-VISIT for foodies. High quality culinary adventures abound in this wholesale food market, now one of the most important in Europe. Besides eating on-site, you can buy wrapped and canned food, as well as bottles of wine.

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