What to see in Madrid - Madrid City Guide-Madrid Apartments for Rent

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Madrid is a tremendously historic and monumental city.

Its monuments and sights include the Royal Palace, the Plaza Mayor, the Almudena Cathedral, Puerta del Sol, the magnificent Plaza de Oriente and the city's many historic buildings and squares which make this one of Europe's most attractive cities for sight-seeing.

The city is an excellent combination of modern infrastructure and historic squares, churches, monuments and city gates.

It has several emblematic landmarks such as the Palacio Real, which is the largest Royal Palace in Western Europe, the Plaza Mayor, a spectacular Castilian square which dates back to the 16th century, the Puerta del Sol, Madrid and Spain's spiritual heart, since from this square all points on Spain's 6 major national roads are measured, and the Gran Vía, one of Madrid's main shopping streets connecting the spacious Plaza de España square with the magnificent old city gate of Puerta de Alcalá.

Madrid's art museums are second to none, with the Museo del Prado being internationally recognised as one of the world's premier galleries, particularly for European art.

The Reina Sofia museum, which houses Picasso's incredible work "Guernica", and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, one of the most important private collections in the world, make up Madrid's unique Avenue of Art, together with the new addition of the Caixa Forum.

The less well known Academia de Bellas Artes houses a magnificent collection of paintings from the 15th century to the present day.

HomesForTravellers Madrid-Guide provides the visitor with practical information on all the city's major museums, the most historic churches and palatial homes, and also the most important monuments.

A visit to Spain's capital wouldn't be complete without a stroll around its Rastro Fleat Market, which is a Sunday morning tradition for thousands of locals and tourists alike. Or take a relaxing walk through one of the capital's large and beautiful parks.

Please use the resources on the margin to the left to discover all of Madrid's major sights.

And if you would like to see where the most important tourist attractions are located, we suggest you start with this incredibly useful tourist map to guide you round the city.

The cheapest way to visit the best Madrid tourist attractions is to purchase a Madrid Card. It provides you with free access to 42 museums, and there are over 100 establishments that offer discounts on production of the card. You can also join in on guided tours that are part of the ‘Discover Madrid’ program, for free! The card costs 32.00 euros for 24 hours; 42.00 euros for 48 hours or 52.00 euros for 72 hours. It is available from the Madrid Tourist Information office in the Plaza Mayor and through main travel agencies.

Click here for more information on the Madrid Discount card.

Finally, don't forget to check out Madrid's best sights and attractions in our Best top things to do in Madrid