Five essential things to do in Madrid
When my Friend W lived in Madrid for six months in 2011, I heard a lot about the famous city through her words over Skype. I pictured Madrid to be a city with really cool street art culture, a city with delectable food and at last, a great tourist destination with Zara stores just round the corner. Friend W’s words were sufficiently descriptive (albeit a little long-winded – just kidding) and I always yearned for a chance to visit the much talked-about city.
To be honest, of the two Spanish cities I visited, Barcelona and Madrid, I preferred the former more. I felt that there were many more things to do and the historical monuments, a little more thought-provoking.
Nonetheless, Madrid is still worth a visit. Apart from the famed Prado Museum, the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium really brought back memories – of the time when I was an avid Real Madrid fan in secondary (high) school. It was the time when Raul Gonzalez (the Real Madrid captain ruled) accompanied by a team of world-class players such as Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Iker Casillas which flanked him at the opening of matches.
![raul gonzalez madrid](https://thetravellingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/raul-gonzalez-1024x823.jpg)
Alas, today, only Iker Casillas is left today (and I have some feeling he will be moving on too). Nonetheless, the memories of waking up to watch 3am UEFA Champions League matches are priceless.
I digress. May I present you, five essential things to do in Madrid.
1. Take a tour around Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
![real madrid stadium bernabeu](https://thetravellingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_8401.jpg)
As a Real Madrid Fan, visiting the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium was the highlight of my time in Madrid. It was quite disappointing to find out that it was the La Liga off-season or I would have purchased tickets to watch a match. While I found the stadium tour a tad commercialised, the feeling of being in the famous stadium of my favourite football club was pretty awesome.
2. Spend at least half a day at the Prado Museum
![prado museum madrid](https://thetravellingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_8085.jpg)
I have been to the several museums in Europe and the Prado Museum is undoubtedly one of the best. I don’t profess to be an art aficionado but I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there. Unlike modern art and contemporary pieces, I found the paintings to be realistic, thought-provoking and a good representative of the scenes during historical times. I saw battles between great armies come to life, and also portraits of royalty and that of peasants and a chambermaid. It was a nice contrast.
I would encourage you to rent the handheld audio guide because it really helped with giving context and explaining the artist’s intention of the painting.
3. Take a rest at the Park of Silent Retreat (Buen Retiro Park)
![retiro park madrid](https://thetravellingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_8139.jpg)
The Park of Silent Retreat is not as silent as it should be. It’s a short trot away from the Prado Museum, for one to indulge in the peace and simplicity of the natural world, after a long day fill with attempts to decipher the meaning behind ancient art pieces.
4. Try authentic Spanish cuisine at La Tragantua
![la tragantua madrid Mille-feuille](https://thetravellingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_7921.jpg)
There’s much more to Spanish cuisine than just tapas and paella. La Tragantua offers a variety of authentic Spanish cuisine, such as beef risotto and fried goat’s cheese. Yum. Stay tuned to find out more.
5. Have affordable, authentic tapas at Casa Labra
![casa labra madrid tapas](https://thetravellingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/IMG_8532.jpg)
Casa Labra is by far the most authentic place to have tapas in downtown Madrid. The restaurant has two prices – standing bar prices and restaurant seating prices. Both the wine and tapas are popular among patrons – mainly because it’s both affordable and good.
Address: Calle Tetuan, 12, 28013 Madrid, Spain
* * *
If you’re a first time visitor to Spain, Madrid is definitely a must-go. Even if it’s just for two days – take time to take in the city, and savour the offerings from its museums. Stay tuned for more in-depth write-ups of the city!