Madrid and Barcelona Apartments, Spain

Apartments in Madrid are classified mainly by number of bedrooms from one to four. The quality of the Apartment and the amenities that it offers vary from one apartment to another, usually in more pricey Apartments in Madrid, you can expect some form of luxury accommodation.

Apartments are a relatively a recent addition to the holiday accommodation scene in Madrid. They are essentially a flat that is full equipped for a short or extended stay. As they are an apartment, they offer more space, privacy and freedom than hotel rooms.

Holiday Apartments are available in all districts of Madrid and they are an excellent choice for those who want privacy and space. These are self-catered accommodation options which give you privacy, as well as the chance to get the feel of really living in the city. They are an especially good choice for those people who are coming to Madrid for mid- to long term visits.

If you are a backpacker or you are traveling on a tight budget, you should consider staying in a cheap Apartment in Madrid. It is worthwhile to choose a large apartment where can stay a group of friends so that the daily budget for accommodation per person is very affordable. Even in one of those cheap Madrid Apartments you can expect to find clean linen, security and a general level of cleanliness and hygiene.

There are many different areas to stay in while you are in Madrid. Once you have decided what sort of apartment for holiday accommodation you’d like to stay in, you have to decide where you would like to stay. The center of Madrid is an ideal location if you plan to visit the attractions that the city has to offer.

Gran Via Road is very convenient and central, but is also extremely busy and noisy. Paseo del Prada and its surrounding streets are also central and you will find them to be quieter. Another prime central location is Las Huertas. It boasts some modern classy hotels in an area full of old, interesting buildings. It also has a lively night life for those who would like to see the town at night.

Atocha, behind the station has the cheapest Apartment accommodation options that are available in Madrid. It is not the most pleasant area at night, but is fine for those on a budget who will not be spending too much time in their Apartment.

Nowadays, most people are watching their wallets, but a trip to Spain is just a seat sale or mileage award redemption away. Madrid is the perfect gateway for exploring the country, although once you get a taste of this fabulous, multifaceted city you may just want to spend your whole vacation here: there's plenty to do and see, and lots of ways to stretch your euros.

Once you reach Madrid, here are some priceless money-saving tips:

1. Transportation Tip
First and best advice: take the metro! It's cheap, extensive, and extremely easy to navigate, even if you don't speak Spanish. The metro is well connected to the city center, a trip that takes about 45 minutes from the airport. All metro rides are 1 euro, and there's a 1 euro surcharge for airport trips.

2. Major Museums
With several major art institutions, including the world-class Prado, museum-going is a major part of any trip to Madrid. The Paseo del Prado, in central Madrid, is a wide, tree-lined boulevard that's also known as the Art Walk because it passes four of the city's important museums:
The Prado is home to the world's largest collections of artworks by Francisco de Goya and Diego Velázquez, as well as many other European masterpieces. Madrid's modern art museum, The Centro de Arte Reina Sofía houses Picasso's Guernica. The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza has an ambitious collection of almost 1,000 paintings tracing the history of Western art from 13th-century Italian Gothic through 20th-century American pop art. Madrid's newest art destination, the CaixaForum, is a public art and culture exhibition space.
The CaixaForum is always free but there are several ways to save on entrance fees for the others. A Museo del Paso pass, available for purchase at any of the three museums, costs €17.60, and you don't need to visit all three on the same day. (It would cost €22 for full price adult entry for all three otherwise.) The Prado (€8) and the Reinia Sofia (€6) both have free visit times: The Prado is free Tues.–Sat. 6 pm–8 pm, and Sun., 5 pm–8 pm. The Reina Sofia is free Mon. and Wed.–Fri. from 7 pm–9 pm, Sat. 2:30–9 pm, and all day Sun. The MuseoThyssen-Bornemisza (€8), however, does not have any free visit times.
TIP: Another savings option is the Madrid Card, which, for €47, €60, or €74 (one, two, or three days, respectively) gives you entry to 40 of the city's museums and monuments—including, of course, the ones along the Paseo del Prado—as well as free use of the tourist bus Madrid Visión, and all the guided visits in the Discover Madrid program.

3. More Free Sights
It's definitely worth noting that some of Madrid's top sights are absolutely free: Retiro Park, right behind the Prado, is a gorgeous expanse of path-lined greenery, replete with a man-made lake; the park is especially lively on weekends, when street musicians, jugglers, and sidewalk painters entertain Spanish families out for a stroll. Sunday is also the day of the massive El Rastro flea market, which is, of course, free to wander, though you might be tempted to buy some treasures.

4. Foodie Finds
There are plenty of world-renowned restaurants in Madrid where you can spend your euros—remember to make reservations at Casa Botin for the famed roast suckling pig—but you can certainly keep it inexpensive by making a meal of tapas (small plates). There are tapas spots all over town, but just like restaurants, some are better than others. We list our favorites on our Madrid Tapas Bars listings. Highlights include El Cervantes, a popular spot off the Paseo del Prado for hot and cold tapas, and La Dolores, just a few doors down. Many restaurants also serve tapas in the early evening and afternoon, before dinner service. Mercado de la Reina, on the Gran Vía not far from the Puerta del Sol, has a delicious selection of small plates, and when the weather's nice, the huge front windows open into the sunshine.
Another stellar spot to sample all sorts of gourmet delicacies is at the swanky stalls of the newly made over Mercado de San Miguel indoor market, near the Plaza Mayor. Here, a bustling mix of travelers and madrileños snack on hot and cold tidbits, while sipping glasses of wine, sangria, or sherry.
Churros—fried bread, sprinkled with sugar or dipped in chocolate—are, essentially, the Spanish answer to donuts. Stop in at Chocolatería San Ginés for the quintessential snack, fresh and hot. It's open almost twenty-four hours a day and is especially popular as a last stop before home after a night of partying madrilène-style.

5. Bargains Apartments in Madrid
If you're looking to save money on accommodation but want a fun and funky apartment experience, check out the ApartmentPlan.es website, you will find a large choice of Apartments in Madrid in different districts of the city, with different sizes and number of bedrooms, suitable for couples, families or even groups: One bedroom apartments, Apartments with two bedrooms and also three bedroom apartments in Madrid.

Regardless of the type of holiday that you’re after, you’ll need to find some accommodation that is right for you and you’ll have a wide range of Madrid Apartments to select from.

In terms of luxury, the city centre is where the top Apartments in Madrid are found. If money is no object then the five star Apartment are the ones that will be of most interest to you, and you can head online and choose the ideal accommodation for the duration of your break. ApartmentPlan.es offers guests a large choice of apartments in the heart of Madrid. Prices start from over 80 euros a night, but if you’re after a stay to remember then a couple of night’s accommodation is worth every penny.

Luxury is also available on a budget, with the five star Hotel Hesperia available to stay in for just over 100 euros per night. The ultra modern hotel is ideally located on the Paseo de la Castellana Avenue and the hotel’s lounge is the perfect place to relax after a long day of sightseeing. If you’re on a tight budget you’ll still have a wide range of accommodation to choose from, with accommodations such as the Hotel Celuisma Florida Norte and the Hotel Cason del Tormes both offering comfort without having to break the bank.

The Internet is the place to head to find a great deal on accommodation for the duration of your stay in Madrid. A quick browse online from the comfort of your own home can help you save pounds that can go towards your spending money for the trip itself. You can specify your budget so that you don’t overspend, as well as being able to search by city areas so that you can stay exactly where you want and identify the attractions that you wish to visit before you even step on the plane.

You might be wondering where to start in terms of things to do in Madrid. There is so much entertainment on offer and a whole host of different attractions to visit that you may simply be overwhelmed by the choice available. Something that is worth trying to do, whatever city you visit and no different in Madrid, is to soak up the culture of the capital. The city is bursting full of culture and heritage and every direction you turn you’ll find a little piece of Spanish history.

Flamenco and Spain go hand in hand and there is no better place to experience the Spanish dance than in a Madrid bar or restaurant. The best place to head is a tablao, a restaurant with a stage, where authentic flamenco will be performed every night of the week. The star dancers perform long into the night and thus a tablao is the place to go if you’re after an evening full of traditional entertainment, as you can follow an amazing Spanish meal with hours of authentic dancing.

As one of the tourist hotspots in Europe, the Spanish capital is bursting with different styles of accommodation, with a luxurious Madrid Apartment one of the most popular options. When you go on holiday you are more than likely to want to really indulge yourself and a stay in an apartment that has all the facilities and services you could ever want will go down a treat.

There are many restaurants scattered across Madrid that host great flamenco performances. These include eateries such as Corral de la Pacheca where some of the best flamenco dancers are to be found, while El Juglar hosts a flamenco night every Sunday where students are given their chance to shine. If catching a spot of flamenco is one of the main reasons for visiting Madrid then you should visit the Spanish capital at festival time. The renowned Festival de Flamenco Caja Madrid takes place in February and is the perfect time to soak up some Spanish culture.

While watching flamenco will be at the top of many tourists’ to-do lists when they visit Madrid, many other city breakers will be visiting the Spanish capital to catch another central part of Madrid culture, football. Like Barcelona, Madrid lives and breathes the beautiful game and it’s hard to find a place anywhere in the world that shares the same passion.

The Santiago Bernabeu is one of the most impressive football stadiums in the world and a tour of the ground is sure to leave you speechless. If you visit Madrid during the football season then you may be lucky enough to get your hands on some tickets for a Real Madrid home game. The 90 minutes will be an experience in itself regardless of the result, as the atmosphere really is something to behold and you’re likely to lose yourself in the splendour of your surroundings and become immersed in the match.

When it comes to sport football is one of Madrid’s loves, with the other being bull fighting. May is the best time to visit the Spanish capital if you want to experience the adrenaline rush of this most historic of traditions. This is when Madrid’s famous San Isidro festival takes place, when there are bullfights every day for the duration of the spectacle. At seven o’clock every evening thousands of locals descend on the Las Ventas bullring and you could join them and experience bullfighting for yourself.

Madrid can be the perfect city in which to enjoy a sightseeing holiday, but if you’re more interested in soaking up as much Spanish culture as you can during your holiday in the city then there are three activities you simply must experience. Watching flamenco in a restaurant, football in the Bernabeu and bullfighting in a bullring will all leave you with a tingle down your spine. By staying in a traditional Madrid Apartment you can further add to your cultural experience and enjoy an unforgettable Spanish break.

The Spanish capital has a mixture of styles, people and cultures – and, as a result, lots to offer the discerning tourist, writes EMMA CULLINAN

‘YOU WILL never see the city like this again,” says the taxi driver as we glide through Madrid at 2am, having flown in very late beneath an ash cloud and under threat of Madrid airport being closed.

It’s rare for this city to be free of traffic and people. While Madrid has plenty for tourists – and is keen to promote its culture, shopping, eating and sport – it is very much a working city in perpetual motion which visitors have to fit into.

That’s no problem because this is not a one-size-fits-all place that seeks to impose itself on anyone – instead there is something here for every type of human.

Last time I was there I stayed on the north side of the city (where, on my 2am arrival, I got to witness extremely elegant prostitutes plying their trade on quiet pavements) and decided to walk down across the city to the south to see Picasso’s mighty Guernica painting in the Reina Sofia gallery.

Instead of the usual city centre fare of chain shops, supermarkets and offices, Madrid offers building sites and tiny shops: old-fashioned farmacias, small hardware stores, tiny grocers and shoe shops selling fantastical, colourful end-of-line footware at down-at-heel prices. Such shops have been wiped from many capitals because developers have bought up vast tracts of land and de mand the levels of rent that can only be supported by upmarket chains and brands.

Soon I am on a street where shops with names such as “Man” sell underwear that is lovingly displayed on window mannequins, and men sit together drinking coffee at pavement cafes. A gay district, and something that the tourist board is proud of – “with over half-a-million gays, the Madrid region is the capital of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) tourism in Spain. Calle Fuencarral and the Chueca district have become modern icons of Madrid . . . here bars, restaurants, nightclubs, cafes, bookshops, hairdressers, etc, all welcome tourists with open arms.” Madrid is part of a Catholic country that seems to have grown up and out of alienating sections of the human race.

The Spanish, like the Irish, are consumed with anger at just how heavily the recession has landed on them and they display this in their accommodatingly wide streets and many squares. On the two days I was there recently, city centre traffic was driven to gridlock (and beeping horns) as a result of demonstrations by put-upon workers.

In the central gathering place in Madrid, Puerta del Sol, women were handing out leaflets about the chronic illness fibromyalgia while the streets thronged with people wearing yellow Day-Glo jackets bearing the word “Oro” – they buy gold from those in the unhappy position of needing to swap heirlooms for cash.

Madrid is the highest capital city in Europe, and was founded in the 16th century by the kings of Castile. It’s an unusual capital location, up on a plateau in the middle of the country without access to the sea (and thus, centuries ago, overseas trade).

Royalty has shaped the city. When the Hapsburgs were in charge – from Filipe II to Carlos II in 1700 – they imposed their style by creating a town of narrow streets and squares. This is now the charming historical heart of Madrid.

Later, the French Bourbons grabbed the reins and carried out the sort of urban planning that Hausmann did in Paris, creating wide, grand boulevards lined with “palaces” (the Spanish use the word palace – or palacio – to describe any grand building, whether the gentry live there or not).

To experience the two, you can start at the top left-hand-corner of Parque del Retiro at the Plaza de la Cibeles – whose fountain (depicting Cybele the goddess of fertility) is used by Real Madrid football fans to celebrate victories in and around. The army, US government and Madrid mayor’s residences are all to be found on this colossal square.

Head towards the city centre up the wide Alcala street lined with classical, icing-sugar buildings and bear right – by the Baroque church of San Jose – up Gran Via. This was carved at the beginning of the 1900s, by demolishing many city-centre buildings, to create a wide street of shops, theatres and hotels.

The buildings are designs of their time – mixing classical styles with the upcoming art deco look. US architect Louis Weeks designed the telephone company building on the street in the 1920s in the style of a Chicago skyscraper although, despite being the tallest building in Madrid at the time, it looks as if someone lobbed the top of a US skyscraper and planted it here.

Turn left and you will head to the old part of town, but straight ahead is the enormous palace built in the 18th and 19th century in a classicist Baroque style, in white granite and marble. The large but plain exterior hides a blingy, art-strewn interior (with works by Goya and Velazquez, among others). The vast queues perhaps attest to the Hello generation, who hope to see how those with more money that them live their lives ( Hello’ s older sister Hola magazine was a Spanish invention) – or maybe it was because I witnessed the hoards on Wednesday when the usual €9 admission is waived.

The palace is on the edge of the historical Habsburg part of the city, and you can walk from here to the area’s most impressive square, Plaza Mayor. It is car-free and enclosed by three-storey buildings in an early Castilian Baroque style, using mainly red brick (echoes of the Moors) and grey slate. It’s good place for people-watching from cafes or just by hanging about with countless others.

In a small street off the square, you can get buns from nuns if you time it right (between 9.30am and and 1pm and then 4pm to 6.30pm) when people stand outside the Las Carboneras Convent on Plaza del Conde de Miranda 3 and ring a bell to be let in to choose pastries cooked on the premises.

A few streets away is Madrid’s hub, Puerta del Sol, which is pretty manic, with traffic tearing through and a metro stop at its core – but people still sit, meet, campaign and talk here. On one side is KM zero, a plaque in a pavement that marks the place where all radial roads in Spain depart from, with distances measured from here. Standing on it is said to bring you luck.

But you know that you are already lucky to be in Madrid. The Madrid tourist authority is selling itself to English speakers in a logo derived from half of its name – “Mad about you”. But ion many ways Madrid is just mad – in an eclectic, rushed anything goes kind of way.


Best place to stay?

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5 places to eat

El Cenador del Prado.

4 Calle del Prado, 00-34-91-429-1561, elcenadorelprado.com. This restaurant combines Mediterranean, Spanish and Middle Eastern cuisine.

El Brilliante. Plaza del Emperador Carlos V 8, 00-34-91-539-2806. A busy, well-priced, no nonsense tapas bar opposite the Reina Sofia gallery where the fried squid roll (bocadillo de calamares) is a specialty, for those happy to try local fare.

La Viuda Blanca. Campomanes 6, 00-34-91-548-7529, laviudablanca.com. Don’t be fooled by the coolness of this restaurant – staff are very friendly. Menu is modern Mediterranean. There’s a set lunch for under €15.

El Botin. C/Cuchilleros 17, 00-34-91-366-4217, botin.es. Opened in the early 1700s, this is Europe’s oldest restaurant. Popular with tourists and Madrileños too.

La Latina district. If you want to wander about and choose your own place to eat, head for this district. For tapas try La Plaza de Santa Ana: two tapas bars to look out for are Naturbier, Plaza de Santa

Ana 9, 0034-13600597, naturbier.com, which brews its own beer, and the Cervecería Alemana beside it.

5 places to go

Museo del Prado. Calle Ruiz de Alarcón 23, 00-34-91-330-2800, museodelprado.es. The collection includes Spanish painting from the 12th century, with work by Diego Velazquez and Francisco de Goya. There’s also an impressive collection of Italian paintings.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Paseo del Prado 8, 00-34-91-369-0151, museothyssen.org. Art lovers can be thankful of the shopping expeditions carried out by the Thyssen-Bornemisza family as they amassed a one-stop history of art. In here are major pieces dating from the 14th century.

Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, 00-34-91-774-1000, museoreinasofia.es. The big pull here is Picasso’s Guernica . The gallery has a surprising amount of Picassos and gorgeous bright models of dancers by Bauhaus artist Oskar Schlemmer.

Parque del Retiro. Easily accessible on the east side of the city centre, this is the perfect break-out space from Madrid’s tireless movement and noise. You can do the usual strolling and picnicking here, or slosh about on the boating lake.

Parque de Atracciones. Casa de Campo, 00-34-90-234-5009 (reachable by Metro: Batán station). If you’re with kids who are all Picassoed out, give in and take them to this theme park. It has rides ranging from heart-in-your-throat skydives, and splashy, rapid floatables to more sedate cartoon-like trains and “baby” boats.


Hot spots

Mercado de San Miguel.

Plaza San Miguel, mercadodesanmiguel.es. Stop for drinks, sweets or savoury snacks. You take whatever you buy to high wooden tables in the centre, sit on high stools and people-watch.

Chocolateria San Gines. Pasadizo de San Ginés 11, 00-34-91-365-6546. Why stop at hot chocolate when you can add sticks of fried dough? Here for over a century, this attracts chocaholics into the early hours when clubbers try to carb out a future for themselves after a long night.


Shop spots

ABC Serrano. Calle Serrano 61, 00-34-91-577- 5031, abcserrano.com. The usual department store fare

including Spanish brands that will be new to Irish visitors. There are also El Corte Inglés stores around the city, including one by Puerto del Sol.

El Rastro market. In the streets around Calle Ribera de Curtidores. Go to Metro La Latina or Plaza Mayor. Sundays, early morning until about 3pm. Some might say the tourist scrum here resembles carnage, but who wants a quiet market?

Madrid possesses a wealth of cultural attractions, with many museums, art galleries and palaces. This guide gives you some information about the city so that you can fly to Madrid in the luxury holidays of your private jet aircraft.

With architecture from as old as the 10th and 11th century, Madrid is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity. Madrid is also a great place to see the traditional Spanish arts with the largest bullring in Spain at Las Ventas and a flamenco scene on a par with the traditional flamenco cities of the south. Moreover, with hundreds of theater shows, opera etc., The city is an ideal option for a weekend break mainly while staying in one of Madrid Apartments.

Attractions to enjoy in Madrid:

Prado Museum - The Prado is one of the world’s most famous art museums. It contains masterpieces from the 12th to the 19th century making it one of the most visited Madrid tourist attractions.

Reina Sofia Art Museum - The Reina Sofia art museum is a part of Madrid’s ‘Golden Triangle’ of famous museums. You can find extremely important collections of 20th and 21st century art. Picasso’s would famous Guernica is included in this museum. Moreover, it also houses the works of Miro and Dalí.

Retiro Park - Plaza de Independencia – It is one of the most popular spots among tourists. Retiro Park is a wonderful oasis of calm to the East of
the centre of Madrid. The park was once a palace garden. This park also contains a boating lake with many majestic fountains. Make My Trip

Palacio Real - Street: Bailén - The Palacio Real is a massive and impressive building constructed during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is the official residence of the Spanish Royal family. You can witness lavish halls, banqueting rooms, the throne room, residential areas and the Royal Armoury and Royal Pharmacy with beautiful gardens and courtyards. Tour Packages

Museo Sorolla - It is a must see attraction for the art enthusiast. The Valencian artist, Joaquín Sorolla, lived and worked here. Today the mansion guards the
works of Spain’s foremost Impressionist painter. Cheap Flight Tickets

Museo de América - This museum holds the finest collection of pre-Columbian art and artifacts in Europe. You can also see the articles that were brought back at the time of the Spanish Conquest and also that have been donated by various Latin American countries.

Apart from the museums and galleries, there are other interesting sights in Madrid, such as, the stylish old railway station which was built in 1851 and named the 'Station of Noon', the famous bullring etc. Car Rental

A trip in Spain would be incomplete without a visit to a Tapas bar. In Spanish cuisine, Tapas is the name used to describe a wide variety of appetizers or snacks. These could be cold, such as mixed olives and cheese and the warmer option could be paella.

GoCar, the personal two-seater convertible with GPS audio guided tour included, has been available in Madrid city centre since April.

Fun, freedom and recreation come together for the ultimate tourism experience. These little yellow convertibles include a GPS guided tour that takes in all the city’s famous landmarks. The GoCars use a specialized audio system that provides clear driving instructions combined with a witty and informative commentary along the tour. All the users have to do is follow the directions, sit back and enjoy the ride!

The “GoCar” concept launched in the United States five years ago, and continues to run successfully in San Francisco, San Diego and Miami. Two years ago GoCar opened its first office in Europe, specifically Barcelona, with great success. Since then, Lisbon and Valencia have joined the GoCar experience, and now finally the GoCar has arrived in Madrid.

Unlike any ordinary tour, GoCar gives tourists complete autonomy over where, what and in which order they want to see the sites, and also how long they want to spend at any one of them. The tour is currently available in three languages: Spanish, English and French, with other languages available soon.

The “GoCar” concept launched in the United States five years ago, and continues to run successfully in San Francisco, San Diego and Miami. Two years ago GoCar opened its first office in Europe, specifically Barcelona, with great success. Since then, Lisbon and Valencia have joined the GoCar experience, and now finally the GoCar has arrived in Madrid.

Unlike any ordinary tour, GoCar gives tourists complete autonomy over where, what and in which order they want to see the sites, and also how long they want to spend at any one of them. The tour is currently available in three languages: Spanish, English and French, with other languages available soon.

Madrid is the third largest city in the EU. Every year, millions of visitors come to this busy city for leisure and for business. The airport has 4 terminals that facilitate the coming and going of these visitors. Families and couples consider Madrid as an ideal travel destination because of its many places of interest. Some of these attractions are in existence because of the rich history of the city. There are many majestic buildings left behind since the middle ages. Many are gigantic buildings with breath taking architecture. And year after year, they have continued to lure thousands and thousand of curious visitors.

Madrid art
For art lovers, Madrid must be a heaven. Its galleries have been receiving raving reviews year after year. International art collectors flock to the art galleries to see what is on display. Entrance fees are affordable (about 6 Euros per adult), so most people can get to enjoy the art. Art galleries include places such as Museo THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA, Museo PRADO, and Museo REINA SOFIA.

In the galleries, the works of many famous Spanish artists (such as Picasso) are featured. In fact, Madrid has the largest collection of Spanish artwork in the entire world! So if you are an art lover looking to examine Spanish art, then Madrid is the perfect venue.

Madrid theme parks
If you are traveling with kids, it's good to know that there are family friendly destinations that you can visit as well. Kids may not know how to appreciate Spanish art, but they sure know how to have a great time at one of the two gigantic theme parks in Madrid! The two theme parks are Parque Warner Bros and Parque de attracions. Parque Warner Bros is the more modern theme park. From the name of the theme park, you probably have guessed that many cartoon characters will be featured in the rides. You are right! There is a cartoon village, where children can learn about the history of Warner Bros famous cartoon characters. And then there is Hollywood Boulevard, where the fun rides are. Your children will thank you for bringing them to one of the theme parks!

Madrid monuments and landmarks
If you are visiting Madrid for the first time, then it is a must that you take some time to visit some of the key monuments and landmarks in the city. But before you make the trip, make sure that you check out the opening hours of the monument. Usually, they are open from morning till evening (regular business hours). On Sundays and public holidays, they may be closed, or they may open for half a day. So be sure to check this out so that you don't make a wasted trip.

Lavapies Madrid
Take a tour through the barrios bajos, the low lying areas next to the south of the Old Town. Its name, once in common use, was not a reflection of the quarter's geographic allocation down by the Rio Manzanares, but much more to do with its social composition. Lavapies might initially seem a rather rundown quarter but behind the rather scruffy faade lies a closelyknit community imbued with a genuine madrileño atmosphere. Virtually nowhere else in the capital will outsiders get into conversation with the locals so easily, no other district has so many old fashioned shops and bodegas. Immigrants from north Africa, Latin America and the Orient bring some exotic touches to a quarter that has an almost provincial feel. Added to this contrasting mix is EI Rastro, a flea market, where on Sunday everything from pure junk to antiques and colourful cage birds are traded.

As soon as you emerge from the Anton Martin metro station, you will find yourself among the crowds that throng around the market in the narrow Pasaje Don.Descending steeply to the south from Calle de la Magdalena is Calle del Ave Maria. It crosses narrow lanes such as Calle del Olmo (Street of Elms) and Calle de Tres Peces (Street of the Three Fish), whose names refer to anecdotes about the neighbourhood. A tale is often told, for example, about Calle de Cabeza (Street of the Head). A well to do priest, who once lived here, was the victim of a mugger.

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To avoid leaving any evidence, the robber cut off the priest's head. Years later, after the murderer had bought a lamb's head at the butcher's, curious neighbours wanted to know what was wrapped in the bloody cloth. Unsuspectingly, the murderer opened it and came face to face with the fixed gaze of the dead priest. Close to madness, the rogue confessed to the murder and soon lost his own head on the executioner's block. Later on, the bundle was examined, only to reveal the lamb's head.

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The traditional Nuevo Cafe Barbieri is a meeting place for the district's alternative scene. The name Plaza de Lavapies and the quarter it serves probably derives from the Hebrew. Avapies means something like 'place of the Jews' , but where the 'I' came from has never been fully explained. Nothing remains of the Sephardic culture, as in 1492 the Catholic Kings forced all Spanish Jews to either convert to Catholicism or leave the country. The modest Iglesia de San Lorenzo in Calle de la Fe (Street of Faith) now occupies the spot where the synagogue once stood. Known for many years as the church that served the city's poor, it is also referred to as the Iglesia de las Pulgas or Church of Fleas.To get a better feel for the atmosphere in the quarter, walk a few yards to the north.

Greying houses with colourful pot plants, washing hanging on tiny balconies, clearance shops, vegetable stalls and simple bars line the street. The people all know each other and always have time for a quick chat. Licoreria EI Madroño in Calle Caravaca sells a liqueur and pastries made from the fruit of the strawberry tree - something of a rarity in modern Madrid.

There is another unusual sight in Calle Meson de Parades. The Iglesia del Convento de las Escuelas Pias de San Fernando , a monastery church built in the 18th century, was like many other institutions belonging to the reactionary Catholic Church, plundered by anarchists and burnt to the ground at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. Franco insisted that the ruins be left to stand as a reminder of 'leftwing dangers'. Surrounding the broad square in front of the shattered walls (with a statue of the Mexican cholis composer Agustin Lara) are the tenement blocks typical of the barrios bajos.

The best example of one of these, Corrala is to be seen diagonally opposite on the other side of Calle Meson de Parades. A characteristic feature of these multistorey flats, built in Andalusian style, are the wooden decks, which provide access to the narrow dwellings. This block was built in 1839 and last renovated in 1979. If you are in Madrid for the summer festival, then you must take the opportunity to watch one of the evocative zarzuela performances in La Corral's courtyard.

San Cayetano, the patron of the Theatine Order church, is also the patron saint of Lavapies. He is remembered on 7 August when the surrounding streets vibrate with music and dancing. To mark the beginning of the festivities, a procession winds through the quarter, with residents bearing a statue of the saint at the head.

If it is time for food or refreshments, return to Calle Meson de Parades. Hidden behind No. 13 is one of the oldest and most unusual bars in Madrid, the Taberna de Antonio Sanchez . Opened in 1830, it was initially owned by the picador (the horseman who goads the bull), Colita, but was later taken over by the well known matador, Antonio Sanchez. When an accident forced him to give up his glorious career in the arena, he devoted himself to his small bar. He lovingly decorated it with bullfighting memorabilia, some of his own pictures and two bulls' heads. Literary figures such as Miguel de Unamuno and Ramon Maria del ValleInclan were regular guests. Nowadays it is not just curious tourists who come to the galvanised bar to sample a fine Valdepeñas or a rabo de loro (braised tail of bull).

EI Rastro Madrid
Spain's most colourful and most famous flea market, is held. The best starting point for visitors wishing to experience the full spectacle is Plaza de Cascorro. Where now an astonishing range of junk, clothing, books and antiques can, on a good day, attract up to 300,000 visitors, there was during the Middle Ages a district for butchers and tanners. The word rastro literally translated means 'trail', i.e. of blood left behind on the streets.

The tradition of selling secondhand goods of every kind goes back to the 18th century, but do not imagine that you will pick up a genuine Goya for a song, as the 3,000 or so dealers here know their trade. In any event, the range of goods on sale has changed considerably in recent years. Instead of curios and bric-a-brac, many of today's offerings are cheap goods, mainly clothing, CDs, jewellery and toys imported from the Far East. Even so, if you keep your eyes open, you may well pick up a bargain. Tourists must be on their guard against thieves here. Cameras, wallets and handbags are their usual targets.

What may at first glance seem like a chaotic collection of street traders, on closer inspection turns out to be organised in an orderly fashion. You will discover this for yourself, if you follow the main artery, Ribera de Curtidores, downhill and explore the small side alleys. Genuine junk is laid out in Calle Mira el RIo Bajo, while clothes and shoes are offered for sale around Plaza General Vara del Rey. Specialists in old furniture and household goods are based in Calle Carlos Arniches, while oil paintings of dubious quality the Spanish seem to go for windmills and blazing-eyed women wearing Carmen costume are sold in Calle San Cayetano. Plaza del Campillo del Mundo Nuevo is the place for bookworms to browse.

Madrid is a very touristic city and Madrid Apartments are usually booked several months in advance. Once you decide to spend your holidays in Madrid, you should first care about your accommodation to avoid any bad surprise, simple you should select your preferred apartment and book it in advance.

The churches, the cathedrals, the medieval architecture, etc can captivate any visitor and make them remain spell bound. You would love to enjoy all these as your sight seeing activities. Apart from the interesting places to visit you will find lots of interesting things to do in Madrid that includes watching bullfights or a football game, the parks. Nothing can be more exciting than enjoying a fabulous balloon ride over Madrid. Anyone wish to go wild will prefer to Madrid nightlife. Wining and dinning are something you cannot forget throughout your life. With so many things to offer, don’t you think demand for accommodation will get a tremendous boost?

However, there is a popular demand for the Madrid Apartments over the hotels. The self catering Apartments in Madrid have manifold advantages. Should you want to come with your family or group of friends, the apartments are cost effective way of staying in a popular tourist destination. They are spacious as compared to the hotel rooms and rent. As the apartments are fully furnished the tourist can use the kitchen equipments to prepare their own dishes within it or they can move to any nearby restaurants to have relics of the local cuisines. If you are choosing your accommodation to be in the city itself you can get to every place in a walking distance. Vehicles to hire are also readily available in the city. However, a simple strolling through the city of Madrid can bring the same excitement as any other lively activity in the vigorous city.

ApartmentPlan.es has all a visitor needs to make his holidays an elegant one. We can arrange Madrid Apartment for any visitor, the company facilitates online booking facility for its customers through its website. There are a good number of pictures of the Madrid Apartments that you can hire and from which you can select one to check its availability.

Spanish tourism lost 252 million euros over six days because of travel restrictions caused by the volcanic ash cloud which grounded air traffic in Europe, industry body Exceltur said on Wednesday. Tourism accounts for around 11 per cent of Spain's gross domestic product.

Airline losses are not included in the overall figure but it was not clear whether this figure took account of gains from hosting tourists forced to stay in Spain after their flights home were cancelled. No one at the institute was immediately available to comment.

The Icelandic volcano is still erupting but is spewing less ash, experts said on Wednesday. The cloud of ash has not reached Madrid and the airport has remained open. The British Embassy was operating a stand at Madrid's Barajas airport to take passengers, who had flown into Madrid, up to northern France by bus to catch a ferry back to Britain. There are no economy-class flights available from Madrid to London until May, the website of airline Iberia showed.

EU ministers in charge of tourism will meet in Madrid the 15th of April to launch a program aimed at encouraging tourists to take holidays all year round and maintaining tourism jobs off-season, according to a draft text obtained by EurActiv. The initiative marks the beginnings of an EU policy on tourism as established by the Lisbon Treaty.

Ministers will sign a common declaration in which they commit to supporting "measures and initiatives encouraging the extension of the high season in tourism," according to the draft text. The text is due to be adopted in Madrid during the EU's first ministerial meeting on tourism since the sector fell under EU competence with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty last year. The initiative aims to "contribute to the fight against seasonality and to the maintenance of tourist employment in the off-season," it adds.

Most of the almost 10 million employees of the EU tourism industry tend only to work during certain periods of the year due to the intrinsic nature of the business, which is linked to weather conditions and public holidays. "Seasonality represents a significant issue for the competitiveness of tourism. In this context, I plan to promote concrete initiatives in order to prolong the high season," European Commission Vice-President in charge of Industry Antonio Tajani will say today during a tourism forum in Madrid, which will bring together the main stakeholders in the sector ahead of the ministerial meeting.

Among these initiatives is the launch of a kind of 'Erasmus for tourists', inspired by the EU's successful exchange programme for students. "Young people, over-65s and persons with reduced mobility or low income will receive financial support to go on holiday in low-season periods," explained a Commission official in charge of the dossier.

Northern Europeans could go to Southern Europe in winter, while Mediterranean citizens might move to Northern Europe during the hottest months of the year, according to the plans. The idea comes from a Spanish project which contributed to significantly increasing tourism in the low season by favouring cross-regional exchanges. Spain is now the EU leader in the tourism sector. Along these lines, ministers will commit to prolonging the high season by "encouraging holiday trips and tourist exchanges in low season," reads the draft document.

In accordance with the EU's new powers under the Lisbon Treaty, ministers will also commit to a number of concrete initiatives to be launched in the coming years. A tourism observatory is to be set up in order to collect more detailed statistics on the sector at European level. "It should be a sort of Eurostat dedicated to tourism," an EU official explained. This is expected to help operators to plan their work more effectively by adapting it to emerging trends.

Ministers will also agree on the definition of "an indicator system for sustainable tourism destinations" to highlight destinations and resorts which offer high-quality services while respecting the environment. "It will resemble to the Blue Flag Program," which classifies the cleanest beaches and marinas in over 40 countries, an EU official explained.

The EU is also planning to negotiate tourism partnerships with non-EU countries such as China, Brazil, Russia and India. The aim is to offer package tours involving visits across different countries on the continent. This should facilitate the arrival of new tourists in Europe and help to prevent visits that concentrate exclusively on a single EU country.