About Madrid

The area of Madrid

Madrid, the capital of Spain

Madrid is an elegant and large capital city with beautiful spaces and areas to live in. It has well-kept parks such as the Buen Retiro and elegant boulevards. The city is also famous for its many European works of art such as works by Goya, Velázquez and others. All these masterpieces can be visited in the famous Prado Museum, where more than 35,000 works of art by various Spanish artists are on display.

Madrid is a vibrant, lively and wonderful city. This city has been recognized on several occasions as one of the best European destinations to visit thanks to its wide cultural offer, for being a safe and welcoming city for its visitors and for its great gastronomic variety.

The heart of Madrid

The heart and centre of the city is located in the idyllic Plaza Mayor lined with grand porticoes and just a few metres away you can find an exhibition of historic arsenals with two major landmarks, the Royal Palace and the Armoury. As if that wasn’t enough, Madrid is ranked 51st in the 400 best cities to live in, and some of the best areas are Fuencarral, Retiro and Chamberí.

Madrid’s nightlife

Madrid is a very lively city, which does not rest any day of the week. It has a variety of entertainment options whether pubs, traditional bars and nightclubs open every day of the week. Madrid is a very complete city, with world famous monuments and museums, but few things are as legendary in Madrid as its nightlife.

Nature in Madrid

Green spaces in Madrid

Madrid is considered one of the European cities with the highest proportion of green spaces, with exactly 70 m² compared to an average of 20m² in the rest of the continent.

The Retiro Park

The Retiro Park is one of the most important parks in Madrid. It was opened in 1868 and since then it has been a favourite place for locals and tourists alike. Inside this park there is a very popular and crowded manmade lake in which you can enjoy boat activities in the water. Inside the park you will find the monument to Alfonso XII, the beautiful Palacio de Cristal and the Paseo de las Estatuas.

Sports and activities to do in Madrid

Running

Madrid’s Retiro Park is known as one of the most peaceful places to practice different sports, although the most renowned is running.

Cycling

For cycling, there is a bike lane that runs from Calle O’Donnell to the Fallen Angel. Alternatively, another possible option is to use all the paths in the Retiro Park, but be careful with pedestrians.

Gastronomy in Madrid

Gastronomic offer
Gourmet restaurants

• Corral de la Morería: Restaurant located near the Almudena Cathedral. It has exquisite dishes by chef David García. It is an ideal place for wine lovers as it has a wide selection of the best reserves of Spain. It is a very peculiar restaurant as it only has a total of 4 tables.
• DiverXO: Restaurant located near Paseo de la Castellana. It has the dishes of chef Dabid Muñoz.
• DSTAgE: Chef Diego Guerrero’s restaurant, located near Puerta de Alcalá. Since its opening, its recognition has not stopped growing. The dishes offered by this restaurant are a fusion of the classic and a traditional touch, seeking to express simplicity in a diversity of flavors.

Traditional restaurants in Madrid

• La Taberna Almendro 13: Located in the neighborhood of La Latina in Madrid, it is one of the best restaurants in the city. It is a tapas bar. Its typical dishes are huevos rotos (broken eggs) and roscas de jamón y queso, sobrasada or serrano ham.
• Casa Carola: This restaurant specializes in making the best cocidos madrileños. It opened its doors in 1998 and since then, it has been a success. The restaurant offers some light appetizers and an interesting selection of wines and as a main course the traditional cocido madrileño. It is worth mentioning that this place has been and is frequented by several celebrities attracted by the delicious Madrilenian gastronomy.
• Casa Lucio: Located in the Latina area, this family restaurant opened its doors in 1974. It bases its success on the use of excellent raw materials, the professionalism of its service and a well-stocked wine cellar.

Culinary options

The cuisine in Madrid boasts a wide range of delicious dishes, being one of the most comprehensive in the whole of Spain. The typical dishes of the city are the cocido madrileño, the squid sandwiches that you can enjoy in the Plaza del Sol, the roscas of different flavours and the callos a la madrileña.

Culture in Madrid

The city’s museums

Madrid is known as an art capital and has some of the most impressive museums and galleries in Europe. If you travel through Madrid you must visit the Prado Museum, which since its inauguration in 1819, has fulfilled the lofty mission of preserving, exhibiting and enriching the collections and works of art that, closely linked to the history of Spain, constitute one of the highest manifestations of artistic expression of recognized universal value. A visit to the Reina Sofia Art Center, the Royal Palace or the Royal Theater is also a must.Not forgetting ARCOmadrid, which is the International Contemporary Art Fair of Spain that, since its creation, is one of the main platforms of the contemporary art market.

Architectural monuments

Furthermore, Madrid has several architectural relics, including the Puerta del Sol, the Plaza Mayor, the Plaza de la Villa, the Royal Palace, the Plaza Cibeles, among others.

Transport and connections in Madrid

Public transport in Madrid

The city has a fleet of more than 2,000 buses that run a total of 200 different routes throughout Madrid. The city also has a metro, which is the fastest way to get around, and taxis.

Madrid’s transport connections

Its main connection is the AVE (high speed train), which is one of the most popular means of daily transport for the residents of Madrid. Not forgetting Barajas International Airport, which handles international flights.

Real Estate in Madrid

Price per m2 in Madrid.

Currently in Madrid region the price per m2 is 2.996 €/m2, and 3.782 €/m2 in the centre of Madrid.

Real estate availability

Given the size of Madrid, it has a wide range of real estate available. Despite the Spanish economic crisis, Madrid has not stopped building new homes.

Work opportunities

Madrid is one of the autonomous communities in Spain with the most job opportunities.  Specifically, it accounts for 59% of the total number of vacancies offered on job search platforms.

Security in Madrid

Madrid is known to be one of the safest places in the world. Data showing low rates of the most serious crimes such as murder and rape support this claim.