:Henry Jacqmein
For a fresh breath of fresh air and a bit more modernity than cities like Toledo and Barcelona, try exploring the extremely historically and culturally rich city of Madrid.
Madrid has everything you need in terms of shopping, sightseeing, museums, nightlife, restaurants, and plenty more.
On mostly every block, there are a plethora of shops and restaurants that would interest a wide variety of persons. From affordable and high-quality clothing to antique and cheap gift shops, Madrid is a great place to upgrade your wardrobe or get a memorable souvenir. The restaurants in Madrid are also quite spectacular, ranging from small tapas to exotic Spanish foods.
Shopping
If you are a shopper in general or like stores exclusive to Spain, Madrid has the right atmosphere and stores for you to thrive. Spain boasts ownership of the very popular store called Zara, which brought interest to many of the students studying abroad from the United States.
One from the University of Florida, Isabella Wagner stated, “I am so excited to shop in Madrid because of the exclusive items Zara has in Spain that it doesn’t have in the United States. I recommend Zara to all people who want to have a fun and simple outfit.”
One of the amazing things about stores in Madrid that brings joy to avid shoppers is the sheer size of the stores. A popular store for everyday clothes, Primark, holds stores with five different floors. Each floor is dedicated to a different category or gender.
Sightseeing
One place in Madrid that will satisfy your sightseeing cravings is the viewing the Royal Palace in the center plaza of Madrid. The palace is truly breathtaking, and you can feel the importance of the building while taking in the beautiful view of the movie-like palace. If you are a first time European traveler, be ready to be amazed.
Another must visit for a fun experience is the Market of San Miguel. In the front of multiple restaurants and very near the Royal Palace, this market allows small business vendors to set up inside of a tightly packed outdoor style building to sell fresh food, desserts, and drinks.
One of the workers at the Bao stand, Michele, expressed her excitement about working at the stand; “My favorite thing about working here is being able to give tourists a new experience because these type of encounters they tend to remember, such as trying new food or visiting the famous market.”
A note to remember while visiting tightly packed areas like the Market of San Miguel is to always watch for your personal belongings, due to the pick pocketing culture in Europe.
Museums
Madrid holds one of the more famous museums in all of Europe called the Prado Museum. While photos are not allowed in the museum, it gives you even more reason to check it out.
The museum holds works from Claude Monet and Rembrandt, two exceptionally prominent artists in all of history. Taking a stroll through the museum will speak for itself.
There are museum tours as well if you want a more educated and thorough tour of the museum. Strolling through the exhibits solo will give me an immaculate experience in its own and will allow you to think about how the pieces make you feel, but the guided tour will allow you to gain valuable knowledge on what the paintings mean and their historical significance.
Nightlife
Madrid has a great variety of nightlife such as the club, Teatro Kapital. The club in Madrid provides seven floors with each floor having a different variety of music.
The club is a great place to go with friends if you are looking to dance and have a great time. If you are into electronic music, be aware of the possibility that a popular DJ will be playing at the club and find tickets to buy here.
Restaurants
If you are looking for a nice night out, to eat at the oldest restaurant in the entire world, or a beautiful afternoon grub, you better get on a plane or train to Madrid.
The nice night out to eat will be provided by the Luxurious restaurant called, Amazonico. While pricey, the service is unforgettable paired with a possible life changing experience of ordering Japanese Wagyu for the first time in your life. The Wagyu will be served medium rare with a side of thick sea salt. Be sure to order the carefully made cocktails from the drink menu.
Sobrino de Botin, a restaurant in Madrid has the Guinness World Record for being the oldest restaurant in the world. It was opened in 1725 and has been open ever since. The two specialties are piglets and roasted lamb. These delicious staples while literally sitting in a historical landmark is undoubtably going to give you and your friends a valuable experience.
A euphoric restaurant that will give you great vibes while munching on scrumptious tapas is called Meson. Shown below, the colorful floral decorations in a rather dull environment allow you to feel good while you eat good. The service at the restaurant is highly rated and the food is even better.
While there is a plethora of outstanding eateries to consider while visiting Spain, these three have been selected to show variety and historical context.
Bull Fighting
A true staple of Madrid is the bull fighting which takes place. You will receive no opinion from this blog about whether it is right or wrong, but here is a link to check out future fights.
It is important to understand that in Spain, bull fighting is a majorly debated topic which people will become angry or sensitive about. With that being said, it is an important part of Spanish culture, and many tourists still attend the fights to this day.
Spanish citizen, Ricardo, expressed his problem with the fights, “I feel as if the bulls are being killed as a show, and not for any other reason. It is an outdated act that has no business being in the modern world.”
Visit!
Madrid is a beautiful city with modern features that will leave you fiending for more. Visit the markets, the palace, museums, restaurants, and nightlife, and you will leave full-hearted with a different mindset about Spain and Europe in general.
Comentários