The Madrid of the Bourbons

Strolling through the centre you will encounter buildings, avenues and huge fountains chosen by the different Bourbon monarchs to embellish the city with stately monuments. Near the Royal Palace; from our hotel in Madrid's Gran Vía you can easily get to  the Plaza Major, the Puerta de Sol, the Puerta de Alcalá and the Paseo del Prado.

Puerta del Sol

On New Year's Eve the place to be is the Royal Post Office, now the headquarters of the Government of the Community of Madrid, known as the Puerta del Sol, meeting point par excellence of the people of Madrid and the exact location of the zero kilometre of Spain. 

El Barrio de las Letras

The residence of the great writers during the 16th and 17th Centuries is now one of the city's most active commercial areas. During the Golden Age, famous men of letters dwelled in this district, now a pedestrian precinct, around  calle de Huertas. And, as the icing on the cake to this cultural tour de force, what could be better than a delicious meal in the Restaurante La Villa the H10 Villa de la Reina.

Art galore

More than 80 museums and 2000 historic and artistic monuments are proof of the history and art of all the peoples that have visited Madrid over the centuries. The result is a cultural heritage which is essential to understanding the history of Europe or the world.

Madrid's cultural wealth offers visitors a unique view of the world, straddling painting and sculpture, architecture and nature. But the cultural legacy is also patent in its streets. 

Shopping

Madrid is an important commercial city with many shops where you can buy quality products and have a great day out shopping Areas such as the neighbourhood of Salamanca, where the best shops are to be found; Chueca, a Bohemian, very fashionable area, or Gran Vía, with the main national brands.

Then there are the big shopping centres or department stores,  such as the Corte Inglés, Las Rozas Village or the outdoor Fuencarral marketand the internationally famous El Rastro street market, one of Europe's oldest. It is held every Sunday and features numerous stalls and antique dealers.

Madrid is the capital of Spain and of the Autonomous Community of Madrid. It is  the country's largest and most-populated city, and according to the census of January 1, 2010, it had 3,273,049 inhabitants in its municipality, while the population including its Metropolitan Area totals 6,043,031 inhabitants , making it the the third-most populated  city  in the European Union — behind Berlin and London— and the third-largest Metropolitan Area, after Paris and London.

Climate

The climate in Madrid is a continental Mediterranean climate  and is highly influenced by the urban conditions. The average temperature is 12°C.

The winters are relatively cold, with temperatures below 4-5°C, with occasional snow. The summers are warm, with mean temperatures around 24°C in July and August, and with maximums that are frequently above 35°C. Daily temperature swings are substantial on the outskirts, but not so much in the city centre.