The Spanish capital, Madrid, is in constant competition with its prettier rival, Barcelona. But the proud Madrilenos like to say Desde Madrid al Cielo: if you’ve seen Madrid, the only place left is heaven. Madrid is a city of many faces: it’s the political, artistic and royal centre of Spain with all the fancy trimmings (palace, parliament and opera house); it’s also a gastronome’s delight with traditional tapas bars and restaurants amid the narrow streets and alleyways of the old city centre and it has a buzzing nightlife with pubs, cafes, discos and nightclubs open well into the night. Madrid is Europe’s highest, greenest, youngest and sunniest capital and a place where the Spanish gift for combining tradition with modernity reaches new heights.
you might stumble across an outrageously lavish doorway, a Moorish flourish on a former bell tower or a chic café in an old pharmacy. Few cities radiate such vitality
