Spain Archives ⋆ Page 2 of 8 ⋆ The Passenger

August 17, 2019August 23, 2019

Terraza de Óscar

If you’re at the city center of Madrid, Spain you will experience that the city is everything but not flat. You’re almost constantly walking up and down hills. But what is missing is some kind of viewpoint – you have no chance to see how vast the city is. One option is close to the Templo de Debod where you can have a look on the Palacio Real, the Catedral de la Almudena and the western part of the city, but it is only a limited view on the city.

August 17, 2019August 26, 2019

Atocha

It is worth to visit the railway station Madrid Puerta de Atocha without wanting to use a train. The dead-end station has a new and an old main hall; the older one is from 1888 and was built in art nouveau style. Under the fantastic roof made of cast iron and glass there is now a large palm garden you can walk through and sit down in. Waiting for a train has never been that nice! When you relax under the trees you might forget that you are currently at the most important inner-city hub.

August 17, 2019August 23, 2019

Fass

What Germans abroad seem to miss most is typical German bread. In Madrid, Spain that is no problem as someone decided to supply the German community with everything it needs and opened a German bakery, a German grocery and a restaurant with German food – the Fass. And they also organize ‘typical’ German beer parties for the Spanish to give them the Oktoberfest feeling.

August 17, 2019October 12, 2019

Real Jardín Botánico

The botanical garden of Madrid, Spain is a special one. It consists of three terraces with flower beds that form exact geometrical shapes. The Real Jardín Botánico is rather a landscape garden with numerous flowers and trees inside. It was founded in 1755 outside of the city and then moved in 1781 to its current location next to the Museo del Prado. The garden contains 5000 trees and plants from all over the world.

August 17, 2019August 26, 2019

Retiro

If you had enough hustle and bustle in the city of Madrid, Spain than the Parque del Retiro might be your ideal safe haven. And that is what Retiro means: retreat. It is a giant park close to the city center and it was originally a garden for the royal family. After the end of the reign of Isabell II in 1868 it became a park for the people which is still today – on weekends complete families get here to relax. Most iconic is the artificial lake Estanque del Retiro on which you can row a boat.

August 17, 2019February 25, 2024

Museo del Prado

If you love art you need to go once in a lifetime to the Museo del Prado at Madrid, Spain. It is a giant temple of art, one of the most important art museums in the world and it was opened in 1819 because Ferdinand VII of Spain wanted to have an art gallery like the Louvre. And like I got lost in the museum at Paris, France I got lost at the Prado. After some hours the art buffer in your brain flows over and you’re still not even close to have seen everything. It’s better to be well prepared and to focus on the most important works.

August 17, 2019August 26, 2019

Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor is a very special place at Madrid, Spain but quite typical for a Spanish city: a rectangular space with the same four-level buildings on all sides and various gates – formerly used as a market square. In the center there is a statue of Philip III from the House of Habsburg. I enjoyed especially the paintings on one of the buildings, the Casa de la Panadería – but they are pretty young and were painted only in 1992.

August 16, 2019August 22, 2019

Hotel Ópera

If you like to stay in the city center near the interesting places of Madrid, Spain then the Hotel Ópera might be an option. It is located directly next to the opera and is therefore only few meters away from the Palacio Real and the beautiful garden in front of it. The hotel is labeled as a four star hotel but feels rather like three stars – but that is okay, the fourth star is for location.

August 16, 2019August 24, 2019

Latenight zoo

Going to the zoo at Madrid, Spain can be a special experience. While zoological gardens most often close in the late afternoon this one is open at least until 8:30pm, three times a week it is open until midnight. That’s because of the high temperatures that make a visit during daytime less nice. Therefore you can have a visit in the dark, see animals in slightly enlighted environments and have a very late dinner there.

August 16, 2019August 26, 2019

Guernica

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía is a fantastic art museum at Madrid, Spain. It resides in two interconnected buildings close to the Plaza del Emperador Carlos V and the metro stop Estación del Arte. The older building has a wonderful inner courtyard with trees and sculptures, the new building includes a wonderful roofed terrace with good views on the city. The museum itself is like a labyrinth: you can walk in it for ours, get lost and continuous discover new sections with interesting artworks.