Business travel

Business travel
The magic of Madrid
The Spanish capital abounds in history, heritage and artistic treasures, as
Travelzoo Asia-Pacific CFO and Institute member Honnus Cheung discovers
M
adrid might not be as beautiful as Seville, as romantic as
Barcelona or as historical as
Valencia, but it’s the hippest
city in Spain as well as the country’s arts and
culture capital and a paradise for foodies.
The landlocked capital is notorious for
its dry, baking summer heat. By November, however, the autumn chill (by Spanish
standards) has set in and visitors will need
at least one layer of warm clothing such as a
jacket or pullover.
Fortunately, Madrid has plenty of cosy attractions for the off-season tourist. The capital is laid out in an accessible way for walking
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and public transport, such as the 300 kilometre Metro de Madrid underground rail system, which is excellent.
Central Madrid lies roughly between two
notable pieces of parkland: Campo de Moro in
the west and the much larger Parque del Buen
Retiro in the east. Two key arteries – Gran Vía
in the north and the Manzanares River in the
south – form the remaining boundaries.
Much of the city’s cultural life is centered
on its plazas, or squares. Deserted during the
traditional daytime siesta period, Madrid’s
open spaces come alive with activities as
evening draws.
In the centre of the city is Puerta del Sol,
one of Madrid’s key meeting places (recent
anti-austerity protests have been held there)
and an ideal landmark from which to begin
walking tours.
East of Puerta del Sol is the museum district. The Museo Nacional del Prado is one
of the world’s greatest repositories of art.
Its treasures include masterpieces by Velázquez, El Greco, Goya, Raphael, Rubens
and Bosch.
Nearby is the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza,
Spain’s premier privately owned museum.
This month, the museum highlights works
by Paul Gauguin, Wassily Kandinsky, Henri
Matisse, Paul Klee and August Macke.
PHOTO: GEORGE W. RUSSELL
Previous page: Locals and tourists throng Puerta
del Sol, Madrid's historic central square
This page (from top): The Manzanares River;
Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas; Plaza Mayor; Museo
Nacional del Prado
Further south is Museo Nacional Centro de
Arte Reina Sofía, Spain’s national museum of
20th century art, which turned 20 years old in
September. It is home to Guernica (1937), Pablo
Picasso’s expression of the brutality of the Spanish Civil War.
All three museums can be accessed using
a single Paseo del Arte (Art Walk) ticket that
enables visitors to bypass the sometimes formidable queues. Other world-class museums
in the area include the CaixaForum modern
art museum and the Museo Nacional de Artes
Decorativas.
The western side of Puerta del Sol is not
without its charm. Just to the southwest lies
the even larger Plaza Mayor, which echoes with
Spanish history: everything from bullfights to
executions have been held there. Today there
are street performers, open-air markets and restaurants and cafés of varied quality.
Further west lies Palacio Real, the official
home of King Juan Carlos and his family. It is
open to the public when the king is not in residence and also houses The Royal Armoury,
which this month features a collection of weapons and armour from members of royalty and
the nobility in the 13th century.
For a more modern attraction, visit Madrid
Río, an area of parkland featuring sports, leisure
and cultural facilities opened in 2011, along an
old motorway beside the Manzanares River.
There are worthwhile sights outside the
central area. To the north is Plaza de Toros de
Las Ventas, site of a museum of the history of
bullfighting. Not far away from there is Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, where the venerated
Real Madrid football team plays. Forthcoming Primera Liga home matches will usually be
held on Sundays.
All that activity will work up an appetite and,
fortunately, Madrid caters to wide-ranging tastes.
Try traditional Madrileño dishes such as besugo (baked sea bream), callos (ox tripe) and
cocido (chickpea stew) as well as sweet treats
like huesos de santo (made with egg yolks and
marzipan) and torrijas (bread pudding). Madrid’s classic street snack is bocadillo de calamares, a fried squid sandwich.
Don’t forget that Spaniards eat dinner late –
even at midnight or beyond – and many Madrid
clubs and bars are open until the early hours, so
business visitors shouldn’t schedule too many
breakfast meetings.
Where to eat
•B
otín Serving old world culinary charm
since 1725. Calle de Cuchilleros 17.
366-42-17.
•C
erveceria La Campana Best bocadillo
de calamares (squid sandwich) in town.
Calle Botoneras 6. 364-29-84.
• E l Brillante Hectic café with unforgettable
pinchos morunos (spiced lamb). Plaza del
Emperador Carlos V 8. 539-28-06.
• L a Venenci Iconic 1950s bar with
sherry and tapas. Calle de Echegaray
7. 429-73-13.
•M
arisquería Ribeira do Miño
Galician-style seafood. Calle Santa
Brígida 1. 521-98-54.
• P uerta 57 Tapas inside the Real
Madrid stadium. Calle de Padre
Damián 4. 457-33-61.
Where to stay
•H
otel Intur Palacio de San Martin
Cheerful comfort in great location.
Plaza de San Martín 5. 701-50-00.
•H
otel Urban Trendy high-concept
luxury with fab rooftop bar. Carrera de
San Jerónimo 34. 787-77-70.
• InterContinental Madrid
Sophisticated business elegance.
Paseo de la Castellana 49. 700-73-00.
•M
E Madrid Reina Victoria
Renovated 1920s landmark. Calle de
Santa Ana 14. 701-60-00.
What to see
•M
ercado de San Miguel Cast-iron
temple to retail gastronomy. Plaza de
San Miguel. 542-49-36.
•M
useo Nacional Centro de Arte
Reina Sofía Home of Guernica and
other great artworks. Calle de Santa
Isabel 52. 774-10-00.
•M
useo Nacional del Prado
Impressive collection of masterpieces.
Paseo del Prado 1. 330-28-00.
•M
useo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Glorious art collection in historic
building. Paseo del Prado 8. 276-05-11.
•R
eal Jardín Botánico de Madrid
Terraces, greenhouses and a
herbarium amid eight hectares. Plaza
de Murillo 2. 420-30-17.
November 2012
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