Madrid, Spain, Valencia
A metropolis city, but at the same time very small and familiar. Madrid, a city of millions in the heart of Spain. It can get quite cold in winter and really hot in summer. This capital city is by far the most important city of Spain in culture, politics and economics. I first visited this city four years ago. I immediately fell in love with it. The beautiful old buildings, the small streets, the parks, the people, the terraces, the cultural activities, the café con leches and the different neighborhoods. Madrid is a cosmopolitan city, but feels very familiar and small at the same time. Everything it relatively close even though the city has many different neighborhoods. The most famous are: La Latina, Lavapiés, Chueca, Malasaña.
Madrid has a lot of tourist hotspots that are definitely worth seeing: the Royal Palace, Puerta del Sol, Gran Vía, Retiro park, Plaza Mayor, Museum Prado. But there is plenty to find and read about that. I take you into my favorite Madrid activities! That is why I write about what I would do if I could only spend one day in Madrid.
I am a morning person and I like nothing more than to start the morning actively. One of my favorite activities in Madrid is getting up early and taking a walk around the city. My favorite neighborhoods are La Latina and Lavapiés. So look for a place to sleep in these neighborhoods. Get up on time and start the day with a walk. From Calle de Bailen (La Latina) walk towards the Royal Palace over the Segovia bridge and you will see a beautiful morning sunrise. Walking to the palace where hardly anyone can be seen yet. No tourists, no tourist activities, no groups of people. Nothing. Tranquility. An awakening city, trucks loading and unloading, people getting ready for a new day. From there I often walk into the center and back to La Latina, where I then sit at one of my favorite terraces on Plaza Baja: La Musa La Latina. In my opinion the tastiest café con leche (coffee with milk) of this neighborhood combined with a Spanish breakfast: pan con tomate (bread with tomato spread). You cannot wish a better start of your day.
Visit an exhibition after breakfast. Madrid has beautiful large museums: Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen, but it is also full of small exhibitions. I love that. Check the website Madrid.es for the current exhibitions. After visiting an exhibition, dive into the Huertas (barrio de las letras) district. Where you should definitely make a lunch stop at Plenti. A delicious lunch with my favorite dish: Bread with peanut butter, banana, dates and walnuts. Jummy! Then stroll back to La Latina and get a smoothie to go at Origen! Cheap and you can make any combination you want. With a smoothie in your hand you walk to Park Vistillas. A quiet park, where you can lie down on the grass. Away from the busy city, a place to relax and read a good book.
In the evening there are many things to do and I actually have several favorite activities. However, my most favorite options are:
I suggest you should end the day with a concert in a local café, for example at Liberarte La Latina or Lavapiés.
Madrid is magical because it has something special. You have to feel it when you walk around. In my opinion you need to experience this yourself to understand it!
