Introduction
Madrid is Spain’s financial and political capital, it is home to the Parliament and the Royal Family as well as boasting the extraordinary cultural riches of the so called ‘Golden Triangle’; the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen museums. Situated at the very center of Spain it has a population of over three million, making it Europe’s fourth largest city. Madrid is located three hundred km (two hundred miles) from the sea on a six hundred and fifty-meter high plateau. In the winter temperatures can therefore drop quite low whereas in the summer it gets very hot,One of the city’s main attraction are its inhabitants with an infectious thirst for street fiestas and not forgetting the thousands of bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes and chiringuitos, which transform the streets into hubs of buzzing activity throughout the night. However Madrid is a capital city and as such looks like any other modern capital with vast expanses of high rise buildings and sprawling suburbs. Nevertheless, the city center and most of the key attractions including some large parks are easily explored on foot.
Madrid’s location at the very heard of Spain makes it a convenient base to explore the country further. Within a relatively small radius of the city lie such national treasures as Toledo, El Escorial and Segovia offering some breathtaking attractions and sights.
