Carol Cram, the Artsy Traveler, in Madrid

Exploring Fascinating Madrid–Europe’s Best-Kept Secret for the Artsy Traveler

I spent two weeks exploring fascinating Madrid (minus a three-day excursion to Ávila and Cáceres at the end of week one) and fell hopelessly in love. Madrid is, quite simply, one of Europe’s easiest cities to visit and enjoy.

From sightseeing to strolling to eating to just chilling out in the many parks–Madrid is the place to hang out if you’re looking for a city that feels more like a cheerfully crowded village.

In this post, I chronicle my day-to-day activities during our two-week stay.

Before I launch into my celebration of Madrid, I’ll say a word about expectations. Gregg (husband, artist & frequent travel companion) and I first visited Madrid together in 2010 and stayed two nights. I remember Madrid as loud, noisy, crowded, and really not very nice. Also, on the second night, both of us came down with colds. This, of course, wasn’t Madrid’s fault, but our experience there did color our opinion of the city, already tainted by the fact that on Gregg’s solo visit to Madrid in 2004, he’d been pick-pocketed in the train station.

So when Gregg was given the opportunity to exhibit his paintings in Madrid, I was at first dubious. Did I really want to hang out in that big city for almost two weeks? Was it fair to judge Madrid on the basis on two not-so-great experiences of short duration?

Thank goodness we decided to give Madrid another shot. Staying for an extended period in Madrid was a wonderful experience. We are hooked on this city of four million souls.

Orientation to Madrid

The map below includes the places mentioned in this post. Click a number to find out more information.

Day 1: Tuesday, October 17 – Arriving in Madrid

We set off from Burgos around noon and drive two hours south to Madrid through beautiful mountainous country. I hadn’t realized that a mountain range—the Sierra de Guadarrama—runs to the north of Madrid.

Our drive into Madrid is smooth and thankfully uneventful. We follow the instructions provided by our accommodation to find the parking lot, and in no time are parking the car and making our way into the fabulous ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini.

ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini

Located just to the west of the center of Madrid and across the street from the Royal Palace (the rooftop terrace overlooks the palace), the ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini is the perfect place to stay in Madrid, particularly if you’re driving. It’s located just outside the Limited Access zone on a main road easily accessed from the motorway, and a short walk from the historical center of Madrid.

I can’t say enough about how great this place is. We stayed for twelve nights in two different but both excellent suites and could not have been more satisfied with our choice. The hotel is stylish and well-appointed and the staff are extremely helpful and friendly, always smiling and saying hola every time we leave or enter the lobby.

Here are pictures of the living room/dining room, the bedroom, and the very spacious bathroom with one of the largest bathtubs we’ve ever had in a hotel room.

Living room at ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini in Madrid
Bedroom at ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini in Madrid
Bathroom at ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini in Madrid

As mentioned, the ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini is directly across the street from the Royal Palace. A lively rooftop bar takes full advantage of the stunning view, especially at night when the palace is floodlit.

Settling Into Madrid

Once settled into our one-bedroom suite, we stock up on a few food essentials at the small supermarket just down the street, and set off to explore.

We cross the busy street and climb the stairs to the broad plazas and formal gardens surrounding the Royal Palace. Over the next two weeks, we’ll walk this route many times, never tiring of the many views of the palace.

Read all about my visit to the Royal Palace on Day 12.

The changing of the guard is about to take place so we hang out for a few minutes to see the troops march past. Like Madrid itself, the ceremony is low-key and easy-going, lacking much in the way of pomp and circumstance. A handful of guards troops in, two guards on horses join them, there are a few salutes, and that’s about it.

Changing of guard in front of Royal Palace in madrid

In search of the historical centro of Madrid, we take a wrong turn and end up walking too far in the opposite direction! Tired now and in need of food, we retrace our steps to our hotel with the intention of further exploration the next day.

First Impressions

We have almost two weeks in Madrid—plenty of time to explore! And our first impressions are very positive. My only problem is that I have zero sense of direction in Madrid. In Paris and Rome, I pretty much know where I am most of the time, even without GPS. Landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Seine, or the Tiber and the Colosseum, help orient me. But in Madrid, I have no focal points yet, apart from the Royal Palace.

But orientation will come and I’m content to wait.

Eating In – Once!

In the evening, we decide to stay in and cook dinner—the only night we do so during our entire stay! Although our suite is equipped with a kitchenette, it’s a very small one with just a two-burner stovetop and very few cooking pots and utensils. But that’s okay. Madrid has thousands of restaurants catering to every taste, and prices are reasonable.

I make a tasty pasta dish with the limited facilities, declare that I’ll likely not cook in again, and then we’re early to bed.

Day 2: Wednesday, October 18 – Hanging the Exhibition in Madrid

The priority of the day is to visit the gallery and hang Gregg’s show. After a walk around the ‘hood in the morning, we take a taxi to the Gallery Captaloona where we finally meet Claudio, the gallery director, in person. He’s already got most of the paintings hung so after having a quick coffee in the bar next door, he and Gregg set to work hanging the framed pieces and tweaking the installation. I sit at Claudio’s spacious desk and work on my novel.

Public Transit in Madrid

Afterwards, we go in search of the Metro where we purchase a Metro card and load it with twenty rides—hopefully sufficient for the duration of our trip (it is). I ask the attendant if we need two cards, or if we can use just the one card with one of us going through the turnstile first, then handing it back to the other. I ask because in Paris both people require their own card. The attendant tells me that one card is fine and I confirm that Gregg and I must always stick together. He laughs.

We ride the Metro to Puerta del Sol, the very center of Madrid.

Puerta del Sol 

Puerta del Sol (#1) (Gate of the Sun) is a large public square that is one of Madrid’s best known and busiest places. It is also the center (Km 0) of the radial network of Spanish roads.

Here also is the Statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree (El Oso y el Madroño) that was installed in 1967 and represents the coat of arms of Madrid. I take the obligatory picture and then we set off to explore the area.

Bear with Strawberry Tree in Puerto del Sol in Madrid

Around the square is a warren of small streets, most pedestrianized. We soon relax into the Madrid amble as we window shop our way towards a stop for lunch and then home. We are slowly getting a handle on where we are so that my fixation on my phone’s GPS becomes less necessary as I become more familiar with the streets.

Plaza Isabel II

We emerge into the Plaza Isabel II (#2), the location of the Opera Metro and our touch point for entering and exiting the centro from our hotel. A quick stroll around the Opera house brings us to the Royal Palace in all its brilliant white-façaded glory.

Royal Palace of Madrid

We hang a right in front of the palace, wind through the formal palace gardens to the top of “our” stairs and moments later, we’re crossing the busy Cuesta de San Vincente and entering the ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini.

Day 3: Thursday, October 19 – A Day of Art in Madrid

The day dawns wet and cold. Really wet! The word monsoon comes to mind. It’s the first really wet day of our trip which, considering we’ve been on the road almost a month, means we have nothing to complain about. We receive a text from Claudio at the gallery warning us that attendance at the opening that evening will be sparse. However, since invitations have been sent, we decide to go ahead with the opening and then to have another opening (more of a closing) the following week.

First up is a visit to a local hairdresser. The staff at the Jardines made the booking for me the day before. I tell the stylist to give me a short cut and she does, charging me a mere 14 euros. What a bargain! It’s one of the best cuts I’ve ever had–easy to manage and perfect for life on the road.

I slosh back to the hotel and we get ready for a visit to the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. It’s new territory for both of us and we’re excited to see what it has to offer. When we get down to the lobby and see just how ferocious the rain is, we ask the front desk to call a taxi. Sometimes comfort takes precedence over budget.

Well, quite often, actually, particularly as we get older!

Taxis in Madrid

Taxis in Madrid are very affordable, and Ubers are even cheaper, we discover later. We never wait longer than five minutes for either. A trip to the Thyssen on the other side of the centro costs about 10 euros and is well worth it. But even with an umbrella, I’m soaked by the time I exit the taxi, step into a puddle, and wrestle the umbrella open.

But no matter. Minutes later, we’re inside the Thyssen. The security guard deftly wraps my umbrella in plastic and directs us to the cloakroom where we join a long line-up to leave our coats and the umbrella. Better that than dripping all over the marble floors.

Visiting the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid

We start first with the marvelous collection of 19th-century art—mostly Impressionists—that graces the first floor. Within seconds, we are gobsmacked by the depth and breadth of the Thyssen’s (#3) collection. While it doesn’t contain many super-famous pieces like the Musée d’Orsay does, it contains a lot of variety and some truly stunning pieces.

Here are just a few highlights.

Painting by Berthe Morisot in the Thyssen museum in Madrid
Reclining Nude Shepherdess, 1891, Berthe Morisot

Painting by Emile Bernard at the Thyssen in Madrid
Two Breton Women Under an Apple Tree in Flower, 1892, Paul Sérusier

Painting in the Thyssen Museum in Madrid
The Cliffs at Le Pouldu, 1884, Émile Bernard

Still life with parrot by Robert Delaunay
Still Life with a Parrot, 1907, Robert Delaunay

There are plenty more excellent pieces from all eras, starting in the 15th century right up to some by mid-20th-century masters such as Ernst and Dali. There’s also an interesting special exhibition of Picasso.

We see it all and then retire to the café for a well-deserved coffee and snack.

Opening of Flamenco Abstractions

We float out of the Thyssen and wash into a taxi for the rain-drenched journey back to our place for a quick pit stop before getting into another taxi to go to the gallery. We’ve been warned not to expect many people because of the rain, but as it turns out, quite a few people show up and we have many interesting conversations.

Gregg and Carol at Captaloona Gallery opening
Gallery opening at Captaloona Gallery

Afterwards, we ride the Metro back to our ‘hood and enjoy a late dinner in Old Madrid. The rain stops obligingly and we stroll home through the palace gardens. Madrid at night feels safe and family-friendly.

Day 4: Friday, October 20 – Cooking in Madrid

I start the day by walking a block down the street to a lovely coffee shop where I snag a table on the upstairs level and enjoy a caffe con leche, a fruit smoothie and a pastry while working on my novel. I’m in heaven! Here’s the view of the street from my writing perch.

Temple of Debod

After my writing stint, Gregg and I set off in search of an Egyptian temple. Called the Temple of Debod (#4), the monument dates back to the 2nd century BC. It was donated to Spain by the Egyptian government to save it from floods following the construction of the Aswan Dam. The temple was transported to Madrid and rebuilt stone by stone, opening to the public in 1972.

The park where the temple is located is just a few minutes’ uphill walk from our hotel. After the rains of the day before, the air is brisk and clear. We climb several flights of stairs to a viewpoint that overlooks a massive park to the west of Madrid, then head out in search of the temple.

It’s pretty darned impressive! We enjoy a walk around it and snap a few pictures.

Lunchtime calls so we descend to the Plaza de España to check out Cervantes and his most famous creation and find something to eat (not exactly difficult in Madrid!).

Plaza de España

The Plaza de España (#5) was renovated extensively a few years ago with all parking and traffic sent underground, and the plaza itself reopened only for pedestrians in 2021. It’s a delightful space with playgrounds, sculptures, parks, and a huge statue of Cervantes behind his two most famous creations.

Don Quixote in Plaza Espagna in Madrid

Tapas Cooking Class

At 3 pm, I set off for a location in the centro to take a tapas cooking class. With great confidence, I make my way to the bus stop only to discover that the GPS was directing me to take the Metro, not a bus. Fine. I jump on a Metro and within seconds realize I’m on the wrong line. Sigh. Of course, the next stop is miles away—taking a good five minutes to get to.

Times a-ticking, so I jump off and onto another Metro only to discover that it’s also going in the wrong direction. What kind of a seasoned traveler am I? The next stop is even farther away—so far, in fact, that when I emerge onto the platform, I hear birdsong and see only trees. The station is outdoors and I must go up stairs and cross the tracks to get to the other side. Finally, I get on the right Metro going in the right direction. I still have a good ten minute walk to the cooking school from the Metro and arrive breathless and late. The chef has already started describing the ten tapas we will make.

Making Tapas

No matter. I tie on my apron and listen to her talk about the dishes. She then assigns a dish to each person. My job is to make a cold tomato soup. I cut up garlic and a lot of fresh tomatoes, then throw them in the blender and turn it on. I then add several pieces of bread which apparently will help the soup thicken. Interesting! Finally, I drizzle in about a quarter of a bottle of olive oil and keep blending until the final result is smooth and red.

And wow, does it taste amazing! So fresh—like eating sunshine from a spoon.

Bowls of Tomato Soup

Over the next three hours, we make ten tapas. The chef/instructor never stops–she’s a whirling dervish tending to everyone’s questions and directing us to do something new when we’ve completed a task. I’m one of a few participants chosen to flip a potato and egg tortilla. The pictures show that I wasn’t wholly successful!

Carol Making atortillas as cooking class
Carol making tortillas

After all the tapas have been made, we take pictures and then dig in. My favorite is the tomato soup I’d made and the cheese popsicles. I’m not so keen on the tortilla, not being a potato lover, but I did enjoy learning how to make it.

Chef demonstrating in a cooking class in Madrid
Cheese tapas

Tapas at cooking class

Book a Cooking Class Through Get Your Guide

Here are some options; mine was the 2.5-hour Tapas class.

After the class, I walk home through narrow, twisting streets. When I get to the palace, I snap pictures of a luscious sunset.

Palace gardens sunset Madrid

Day 5: Saturday, October 21 – Art and Flamenco

After enjoying my morning routine of breakfast and writing at “my” local café, Gregg and I go for a splendidly solitary stroll in the Jardines Sabatini–the landscaped gardens attached to the palace that we access from an iron gate (closed at night) across the street.

Jardines Sabatini

The gardens (#6) are simply magical–plenty of twisty paths and sunlit dells. For the remainder of our stay in Madrid, Gregg goes every day to the gardens to paint.

Gregg in Jardines de Sabatini in Madrid

Visit to the Prado in Madrid

The main item on the agenda for the day is a visit to the Prado (#7)–one of Europe’s great art museums on par with the Louvre, the Uffizi, and the National Gallery. It’s a must-visit if you want to stand in the presence of some of western art’s most iconic pieces. What I love about the Prado as compared to the Louvre (not so much the Uffizi or the National Gallery) is that it’s very accessible. Yes, it’s large–three floors with dozens of rooms and hundreds of masterpieces–but it’s not too large. We are able to see almost every room and every time period, from medieval to 18th century, in about two hours of leisurely strolling.

I have bought tickets in advance (a must to avoid long lines) and within five minutes of arriving, we’ve sped past a long line and are standing at the entrance of the main gallery. I snap off this picture before discovering that photography in the Prado is forbidden. Oops!

Interior of main hall in Prado

No Pictures!

While at first I’m disappointed not to be able to snap pictures of my favorite paintings, I soon feel grateful for the photography prohibition. Often in art museums, I spend more time hovering in front of a painting waiting for others to move so I can get a good shot than I do appreciating the painting.

Freed of the compulsion to document our visit, Gregg and I wandered happily from room to room, thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to stop in front of paintings we like to discuss why we like them.

Get Your Tickets with Get Your Guide

I recommend buying your tickets in advance through Get Your Guide or even splurging for a guided tour. You’ll learn a lot and are sure to see all the highlights.

Banco d’Espagna

After our visit to the Prado, we walk over to the impressive Banco d’Espagna (#8) to catch the Metro home for a wee rest before another trip highlight to come–flamenco!

Here’s a shot of the wedding-cake banco d’Espagna. What a great building. It really says “Madrid” to me–so imposing and kind of in your face, but in a good way.

banco d'espagna

Plaza Mayor

Gregg and I love going to flamenco shows and so of course we’ve booked one in Madrid. We have an early dinner of tapas in the imposing Plaza Mayor (#9), then make our way to the Tablao Las Carboneras.

The Plaza Mayor, by the way, is a great place to visit, but I don’t recommend eating at the restaurants there. Most are multi-lingual tourist traps with food that is at best mediocre. At least that was our experience, and I have read other reviews that say the same. Visit the plaza to enjoy its architecture, then eat at a place in a side street nearby.

Plaza Mayor in Madrid

Flamenco at Tablao Los Carboneras

We arrive and are ushered into a “tablao.” This is a room with small tables where patrons are given one “free” drink and a small plate of olives and cheese. Unfortunately, we are seated to the left of the stage and so need to crane our heads around to see the dancers and can’t really see the singers and guitar player at all.

Oh well. Once the lights go down, the three dancers (two women and one man), a male singer, and a guitarist come out and start playing, and we are mesmerized. Flamenco is endlessly fascinating to me. Every performance is different with every dancer, singer, and musician bringing their own soul to the dance floor. Flamenco reminds us of jazz because, like jazz, it is improvisational. One dancer listens and then responds to the singer and the guitarist while the other dancers egg them on with cries of Huzzah and Ole! You can see that they are completely consumed by their performances.

The only fly in the flamenco ointment is that the group of girls next to us won’t stop talking, particularly during the guitar solo (which is heart-rendingly fabulous). I tried to ignore them, but it is irritating and takes away from the pleasure of the evening. We resolve to catch another flamenco performance at a different place before we leave Madrid.

Flamenco Shows on Get Your Guide

Here are a few flamenco shows sold through Get Your Guide. We went to performances at Los Carboneras and Emociones.

Joining the Throngs

After the show, we sail out into the evening and join the throngs of Madrileños out strolling on a Saturday night. The crowds move slowly, everyone chatting and enjoying each others’ company. It’s so darned civilized, and so very different from how we spend our evenings back home! The solitude of island living can be soul soothing, but sometimes, it sure is cool to join the human race in a city like Madrid.

Day 6: Sunday, October 22 – Off to Ávila

We leave the ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini for a three-day trip to two small cities to the west and southwest of Madrid. Our first stop is Ávila, a walled city sometimes called the Town of Stones and Saints. The medieval walls are impressive, but they are a good twenty minute walk through dreary suburbia from our hotel. Orson Welles once named Ávila as the place in which he would most desire to live, calling it a “strange, tragic place”. He filmed scenes of his 1965 film Chimes at Midnight in the town, and more recently, some of the town was used as backdrops in Game of Thrones.

I rather wish we’d booked a hotel within the walls, but Gregg has a horror of driving into medieval villages, based on several mishaps over the years! And why add to the stress? Our hotel–the Hotel Exe Reina Isabel–is lovely and was very easy to drive to so no complaints except for its distance to the medieval part of the city.

In Ávila we encounter the first chilly temps of our trip. I am obliged to bring out the hat, gloves, and scarf I’d brought and hoped not to need.

Getting Medical Attention in Ávila

Once we’re settled, we go in search of a doctor to look at my plugged ear. The pharmacist in Madrid told me that I really should see a doctor since over-the-counter remedies have done nothing for five days. After much walking and a taxi ride, we end up at a hospital emergency that won’t take me because they can’t accept payments. They kindly direct us to a clinic that turns out to be five minutes from our hotel. Once there, the nurse hums and haws and finally lets me pay 120 euros to get looked at by a doctor.

The nice doctor who doesn’t speak much English concludes I have an ear infection and writes out a prescription – antibiotics for five days plus spritzing twice a day with another concoction, presumably to soften the wax buildup. Fun.

We trudge back through the dreary streets to the magnificent medieval town to look for the only pharmacist for miles around that is open on a Sunday afternoon. We’re discovering that Spanish small towns on a Sunday can be very, very closed.

Fortunately, we find the pharmacy, get the prescription, wander a bit through completely empty streets, admire the impressive medieval walls, then return to our warm hotel room for an early night.

Walls of Avila in Spain

Day 7: Monday, October 23 – Cáceres

We’re up and on the road early for the 2.5 hour drive to Cáceres (#10), another medieval town quite close to the Portuguese border. We’re staying in a country resort that is remarkably reasonable considering it was once a palace. It’s called Hospes Palacio de Arenales and Spa.

We arrive after lunch and decide to stay put for the rest of the day. I try out the very warm swimming pool and various jacuzzi jets, then we have a light dinner in the bar. The weather outside is cold, so staying warm indoors wins over sightseeing. The palace itself is magnificent.

Country hotel in Caceres

Day 8: Tuesday, October 24 – Exploring Cáceres 

We are staying two nights in Cáceres so the next morning after a sumptuous breakfast, we drive into the town to check out the medieval center. Most of Cáceres is forgettable–a town like any town in Europe. We find a parking space and walk into the historical center. It’s pretty deserted but certainly atmospheric. We snap a few photos, visit the church, then have a hearty lunch in the main square.

Caceres old town
Caceres church

Our three-day sojourn from Madrid has been relaxing but has involved a bit too much driving considering the payoff.

Day 9: Wednesday, October 25 – Return to Madrid

We are happy to return to Madrid this morning. The three-hour drive through fairly dreary landscapes flies by. Before we know it, we’re pulling into the parking lot next to the ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini. We are greeted like old friends and given keys to a new suite on the fifth floor at the back of the building.

Sunset View

The view of building rooftops is not particularly inspiring, but does include glimpses of some memorable sunsets.

Sunset over Madrid

Once settled, we go for a good long walk through the narrow streets of old Madrid before ending up at Plaza de España and the stairs leading down to “home.”

On this, our re-entry day into Madrid, we do very little beyond the walk. I have travel arrangements to attend to. We’ve decided to cut our trip short by two days, thereby eliminating a long drive from Padua to Lyon in France. As a result, I must spend several hours online with KLM making the flight changes, then reshuffling our accommodations.

Thank goodness for booking.com. I know that properties prefer clients to book directly with them because booking.com charges a 10% commission, and I sympathize. However, for a long trip such as ours, having all our accommodations together on one website is so convenient. I’ve never yet been on a trip when I didn’t make some changes to our itinerary and the associated accommodations. Canceling and rebooking accommodations on booking.com is a breeze.

For dinner, we opt for Thai food at a little place down the block. Its reviews are excellent and we are tired. Also, I’m craving Asian food after a fairly steady diet of Spanish tapas. They can be a trifle on the heavy side and vegetables are rarely featured. I want something spicy and fresh and Thai food fits the bill.

Turns out it is a good choice. We share one appetizer and one red curry made with crispy duck and are pleasantly full.

Day 10: Thursday, October 26 – A Day of Nothing Much in Madrid

Today is our day off from our 66-day sojourn. I start the day at my favorite café and write for an hour before Gregg comes by. We decide that a day off is a good day to go in search of a new suitcase for me. One of the wheels on my suitcase was broken on the plane and now lists to one side. I don’t fancy its chances of surviving two more flights.

Gran Via – The Heart of Madrid

Off we go up the stairs to Plaza de España and then along bustling Gran Via (#11)—the main artery that cuts through central Madrid. Gran Via is the Broadway of Madrid on which most of the theaters are clustered along with the big hotels, chain stores, and fast-food restaurants. It’s a delightful street to stroll along—wide and clean with imposing buildings on both sides. The Plaza de España is at one end (near where we are staying) and the Prado is at the other end. Here are some pictures of the magnificent architecture along the Gran Via.

Gran Via building in Madrid
Gran Via Buildings in Madrid

Some Rest and Relaxation

When we get back from our shopping trip, new suitcase in tow, I indulge in an afternoon nap and it does feel good to just rest! Traveling is wonderful, but it can also be hard work. I’m grateful to have such a comfortable place to stay. In the evening, we climb the stairs back to Plaza de España and look for an Indian restaurant. We are the first customers at 8 pm. The food is plentiful and tasty.

Day 11: Friday, October 27 – A Visit to El Retiro

A sunny day! We plan another quiet day in Madrid prior to going to the second opening this evening. I start my day at my favorite café. By this time, the servers know me and smile with recognition first at my order and then point upstairs to my favorite table overlooking the action. I love starting my day this way—the bustle and clink, the murmur of voices—never too loud in Europe, the wagging tails of the dogs brought in by their owners. When I get upstairs to “my” table, three little mop dogs are tethered to the table behind. They get very excited when I come up and jump up with much wagging of tails and bodies.

After working for about an hour, I drop my computer back at the Jardines and we embark on our outing of the day—a walk through Retiro Park. We stroll across the street and up the stairs to the gardens flanking the Royal Palace, skirt the palace and go around the Opera house to arrive at the Opera Metro station. A few stops later, we emerge across the street from Retiro Park.

Retiro Park in Madrid

Paris has the Luxembourg Gardens, London has Hyde Park, Rome has the Borghese Gardens, Berlin has the Tiergarten, and Madrid has El Retiro (#12). I’ve been to all of them and I have to say that Retiro in Madrid is my new favorite.

Gorgeous trees, wide walkways, a large lake studded with rowboats being lazily propelled in the October sunshine, an exquisite rose garden, and a lot more make Retiro a delightful place to spend an hour or two. We walk from one end to the other, sometimes joining the throngs of people on the larger avenues, and other times veering off to small pathways where only the occasional jogger lopes past.

Retiro Park Lake in Madrid

Retiro is 118 hectares of green space in the very center of the city and was built in the mid-17th century for King Felipe IV.

Fountain in Retiro Park Madrid

We walk the length of the park and emerge into a workaday neighborhood where I’m sure we’re the only tourists. We stop into a cafeteria for lunch and enjoy a bargain meal–two very filling sandwiches, two coffees, a soda water, and two desserts for about 12 euros. All very tasty and fresh! We are finding that food prices in Madrid, particularly away from tourist areas, are extremely reasonable. And even in the tourist areas the prices are still less than what I’d pay in Vancouver for comparable quality–a lot less!

Second Opening of Flamenco Abstractions

In the evening, we go again to Captaloona Gallery for the second opening. More people come and we enjoy many interesting conversations along with some sales. All in all, a successful evening! Afterwards, we take the Metro back into Old Madrid and enjoy yet another excellent meal.

Opening at Captaloona Gallery

Rez Mad Rid Festival

The Rez Mad Rid Festival (we finally figure out that it means Lights Madrid) has started and all over Madrid sound and light shows are set up. At the Royal Palace, black Hallow’eenish tendrils crawl across the facade to the accompaniment of suitably spooky sound effects. On the side of another building, the projection of an artist “painting” with light entertains us for several minutes.

The streets and walkways are teeming with people and the cold air is alive with their conversations.

Day 12: Saturday, October 28 – Royal Palace and More Flamenco

I’d booked a guided tour of the Royal Palace (#13) a few days earlier, and so at 9:40 set off from ApartoSuites Jardines de Sabatini to stroll across the road to the palace grounds and through them to meet the tour at the statue of Felipe II. The morning is chilly with a biting wind. I’m grateful when finally, after much milling about and waiting in line, we are ushered into the palace.

Our guide is a perky and well-informed young woman wearing a bright purple hat and blue raincoat so she’s easy to spot among the dozens of more soberly clad tourists.

Guide for ROyal Palace tour in Madrid

I used to turn up my nose at guided tours, but I’m coming to see their worth in small doses—about two hours is my maximum. I learn more from a live guide than I do from the ubiquitous audio guides that always make me want to fast forward.

The Royal Palace Tour Begins

Our guide starts off by giving us a quick summary of the history of the palace, which is the official residence of the Spanish royal family (although they don’t live there). Back in the 1730s, Philip V decided to have a new palace built after the mouldering fortress that Spanish kings had been occupying for centuries burned to the ground. Apparently, the fire roared through the old place on New Year’s Day, not long after all the best paintings had been taken out. Coincidence?

Measuring 135,000 square meters with more than 1,400 rooms, the Royal Palace is massive. Thankfully, the tour explores only a handful of the rooms, but what a handful. The first room we enter is laden with massive chandeliers, and I snap a picture.

Royal Palace of Madrid Interior chandeliers

Seconds later, I’m almost bowled over by a very angry guard.

“No pictures!”

“Sorry!”

He wags a thick finger at me and for a second I’m worried he might tackle me to the ground and confiscate my phone. Instead, he turns away, grumbling under his breath as he readies himself to pounce on the next unsuspecting tourist.

The guide apologizes to the group for neglecting to tell us that photographs are not allowed. She also acknowledges that the guard was somewhat aggressive. No kidding! My heart rate doesn’t return to normal for two more rooms. I feel like the very worst sort of cultural criminal.

Sumptuous Rooms in the Royal Palace

Sumptuous is putting it mildly. Ceilings are covered in frescoes, walls with silks and paintings; objets d’art including some pretty nifty clocks sit atop beautifully carved tables, and there are chandeliers galore. It’s somewhat over the top but hey, it’s a palace. The guide provides just enough history and stories to bring the place alive without overdoing it.

One room displays a collection of five instruments made by Stradivarius. Each is worth tens of millions of euros and can only be played by a virtuoso. It would be amazing to hear how they sound!

We also check out the banquet room and the throne room, and learn that the current king came to the throne in 2014 after his dad, King Juan Carlos, abdicated following a series of scandals involving the misuse of government money. King Felipe VI looks to be an upstanding fellow. The palace is getting ready to host a major royal event when his eldest daughter, the heir to the throne, pledges her loyalty to the constitution. The palace will be closed for several days.

Should You Visit the Royal Palace?

Is a visit to Madrid’s Royal Palace worth a few hours of your time? I think so. Despite its massive size, it’s one of the more accessible palaces I’ve toured, and the history of the various kings and queens who inhabited it is fascinating. If you go, I suggest signing up for a guided tour and choosing the first tour of the day so you enter the palace when it opens at 10 am.

Access to the rooms is through very narrow entranceways. I find it crowded enough early in the day and can’t imagine what it would be like later on. I think getting from room to room would take twice as long.

When I emerge from the palace at 12:30 at the end of the tour, the line-up to get in stretches for a few blocks. So yeah, go early.

After my tour, I meander slowly through crowds of tourists (the most I’ve seen since arriving in Madrid) to return to the hotel. The air is still cool, but the sun is shining and the palace gardens are as inviting as ever. Once again, I’m struck with how comfortable a city Madrid is. People don’t rush around here, not like they do in Paris or Rome. There are also very few bikes and almost no cars in the center of the city so walking is a pleasure instead of an exercise in death-defying dodging.

Accessing Health Care in Madrid

Back “home” at the Jardines Sabitini, I connect with a local doctor to help me with my ongoing ear problem. Forty minutes after I call a number for a Madrid doctor on call, a doctor arrives at my door. She is from Colombia and quickly gets to work solving my ear problem and also providing help with some skin issues I’ve been having since coming to Europe. She is a wonder! The cost is 130 euros and she comes equipped with a Visa machine.

What a service! She tells me that she is on call for 24 hours and that the morning was very busy with people suffering from major hangovers after over-indulging in the Madrid night life. Many people told her they would never drink again, but she tells me with a twinkle in her eye that she doesn’t believe them.

Another Flamenco Show in Madrid

On the agenda for the evening is yet another flamenco show. Ever since seeing our first live flamenco in Barcelona in 2010, Gregg and I have been obsessed. In fact, Gregg’s exhibition in Madrid is heavily inspired by the flamenco shows we’ve attended over the years.

We opt for Madrid: “Emociones”, billed as one of Madrid’s best flamenco shows. It’s in a theater rather than a club and we hold out hope that we’ll snag better seats than we did for the flamenco show we attended a week earlier. With that goal in mind, we leave home at 5 pm and walk about 25 minutes through what are becoming the familiar streets of Madrid to get to the theater. Along the way, we join the throngs on Gran Via.

Saturday Night in Madrid

It’s Saturday night and the street is packed to the gunnels—and it’s only 5:30! But it will only become more crowded, as we’ll discover after the show.

We arrive and are shown to absolutely first-rate seats in the second row directly in front of the stage. The price includes one drink each. Gregg orders agua con gaz and gets a nice big bottle that I share, while I order a white wine (my first in over a week to celebrate finishing a round of antibiotics). It’s a good choice since it is a very small glass of white wine!

Still, we’re not there for the drinks. The lights go down and the hour-long show begins. We are introduced one by one to the six performers who will pour their hearts onto the stage, literally to be stomped upon. The cast consists of two female dancers, one male dancer, a guitarist and two female singers. Together, they present a mesmerizing show that really showcases the various roles each of the components play—dancers, musicians, singers.

The Flamenco Performance

The three dancers dance together and then each takes the stage separately to perform breathtaking solos. We are at eye level with the feet and especially during the man’s performance, I fix my gaze on his shoes and watch with wonder as he slides, slides, stomps, stamps, taps, and even jumps. Meanwhile, he fixes a haughty gaze high above the heads of the audience and with his hands alternates between slow snaps, sinuous arms movements, and then rapid grabbing of his jacket and wrenching it back and forth like a matador’s cape.

As in every flamenco show we’ve attended, the guitarist takes a solo.The flurry of runs shivering up and down the neck of the guitar has me swooning. I don’t think there’s any kind of guitar playing more perfect, more soulful than Spanish guitar playing. It truly is poetry performed by ten impossibly strong fingers.

Day 13: Sunday, October 29 – Tango in Madrid

In the morning, I go out to my favorite place for morning coffee and to work on my novel. At 11:30, we hop in a cab and go to the gallery where Gregg and Claudio take down and pack the show. It has been a success in many ways, not just with some sales but also because of the contacts made and people met.

Claudio is very supportive of Gregg’s work and promises more connections and possibly another show in Madrid. Will we return? Who knows? I certainly like this city with its calm and easy atmosphere. Madrid feels more like a village than a big city, despite the crowds. Perhaps it’s because there is virtually no traffic noise in the streets of Old Madrid. With almost all cars banned from the city center, most streets are either pedestrianized or have so little traffic that it’s common to walk most of the time in the center of the street, only moving calmly aside when a car comes sedately along. No cars horns blaring, no sirens, no feeling of imminent demise, and as mentioned, almost no bikes or scooters.

Uber in Madrid

After packing up the show, we call for our first Madrid Uber. I’m surprised that I’m required to enter my passport number before I can order one. Apparently, it’s a requirement of the Spanish government. I have no idea why but I guess I’ll forever be registered in some Spanish government archive as having ordering a 7 euro Uber on October 28, 2023.

Back “home,” we go for lunch at a nearby café that’s packed to the gills with locals enjoying a cheap Sunday lunch. The food is definitely budget-friendly and filling, but the one server is run off his feet and a good lunch is followed by twenty minutes of waiting for il cuenta. Finally, he tends to us after passing by numerous times with a promise to return, only to have us pay the wrong amount! He has to run out of the café to collect an extra thirty cents because I thought the bill read 20.50 and it was 20.80!

Gregg spends the afternoon drawing and I head out for a last swing through the centro to see if I can pick up some Madrid souvenirs. I’ve bought nothing so far in this wonderful city. Souvenir shops are brimming over with tackiness. I snag some jewelry, a flamenco fridge magnet and a mug.

Tango in the Evening

At 7 pm, we meet Claudio and his wife for what turns out to be an epic treat–a performance by two masters of the tango at Café Berlin. One sings and the other plays the harmonica and all the rhythms are inspired by tango.

What a tour de force! Accompanied by an amazing guitarist, the two men entertain us for over 90 minutes. In addition, every so often, guests come up on stage and sing. We love every minute of it. Here’s a link to a video Gregg took: https://www.facebook.com/1262160445/videos/350491717540159/

After the performance, we go out to a marvelous meal with our new friends. As we stroll home through the Sunday evening crowds, we feel very grateful for how well our Madrid odyssey has gone.

Day 14: Monday, October 30 – The Ballet

Last full day in Madrid! I have nothing planned beyond working on my novel in my favorite café, working on this journal, doing some research, going for lunch somewhere, and getting packed up before we head out of town tomorrow.

After my morning stint at the café, Gregg swings by and we go for our last stroll in the Jardines Sabatini across the street. We wind our way down sylvan paths completely alone with the trees and unable to hear the traffic from the street above us. We walk farther than we have in the past and discover a rose garden, more statues, and a few other follies, along with some great views of the palace up on the hill. The leaves are turning fast now and with the sun filtering through, we are in a magical place.

After dropping back into our place to recharge my phone, we set out again to find an art store. Gregg needs to stock up on more conté pastels before the next phase of our trip. During our travels, we spend a fair amount of time searching out art stores.

The big event of the day is a performance of Swan Lake by Ballet Kiev.

Swan Lake

Neither of us has ever seen a full-length ballet (with the exception of The Nutcracker when I was a little girl), so we are excited to see what Ballet Kiev has in store for us. The dancing is beautiful, with glittering costumes and sets. At a mere 40 euros for excellent seats (and no one next to us so we are able to stretch out), the evening is excellent value.

We dance our way home through almost empty streets. It’s a Monday evening and apparently even Madrid sometimes slows down.

Day 15: Tuesday, October 31 – Maestras

Our last morning in Madrid! We pack the car and set off via Uber for the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisz to see a special exhibition of women artists called Maestras.

Our driver is obliged to take almost an hour to get from our hotel to the museum (about a 30-minute walk away) because many roads are blocked off. The Crown Princess is giving her oath fo the constitution in Parliament today and security is tight.

Maestras at Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisz

Finally, we arrive (I add on an extra-big tip!) and we tour the exhibition. It’s excellent! Not only are the pieces chosen gorgeous to look at; the thematic organization is very thought-provoking. Works by so many of my faves are featured, including Artemisa Gentilleschi, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Rachael Rausch.

Time to Say Goodbye

And finally, it’s time to say adios to Madrid and hola to Valencia. We say our good-byes to the staff at the ApartoSuites and promise to return! They have truly made our stay a pleasure.

Minutes later we’re on the road out of Madrid. The GPS doesn’t disappoint and before we know it Gregg’s staring down the A3 for the next three and a half hours.

Even after twelve days in Madrid, we missed a few museums I’d wanted to visit, such as the Costume Museum, and didn’t get a chance to pop into the Reina Sofia to say hi to Picasso’s Guernica. I also never visited the imposing cathedral and I’m sure missed a few more worthy sites.

But hopefully, we will return!

Madrid Walking Tours

GuruWalk lists pay-what-you-please walking tours that connect tourists with tour guides all around the world. Check out their tours of Madrid!

Madrid Tickets & Tours

Here are lots of options for getting tickets and tours through Get Your Guide. I use their tours frequently and can recommend them wholeheartedly.

I also like the tours and ticket options available through Tiqets.com

Conclusion

Have you been to Madrid? Share your recommendations in the comments below. Also, here are more posts about Spain.

Courtyard in the Alhambra in Spain

Amazing Artsy Sightseeing Choices in Spain for the Independent Traveler

When it comes to artsy favorites, Spain has more than its fair share of wonderful sights and experiences. From amazing flamenco to mind-bending modern art to soul-expanding palaces and cathedrals, Spain is a treasure that keeps on giving.

Every time I travel to Spain, I discover new layers of a culture that stretch back millennia.

In this post, I share some of my favorite artsy experiences in Spain.

Map of Spain: Suggested Artsy Favorites

The map below shows the locations of the artsy sightseeing favorites mentioned in this post. Click a number to read more about the location.

Flamenco–a Definite Artsy Favorite!

My husband Gregg and I are crazy for flamenco and see it every chance we get when we travel in Spain. In fact, Gregg loves it so much that he created a whole series of pastel drawings based on his experiences seeing flamenco in Spain.

Abstract pastel drawing in pink and blue tones showing a flamenco dancer with swirling skirts
Flamenco Abstraction 7 by Gregg Simpson
Abstract pastel drawing in blue and green tones showing a flamenco dancer with swirling skirts
Flamenco Abstraction 6 by Gregg Simpson

We’ve experienced flamenco in Seville, Cordoba, and Barcelona.

Flamenco in Seville

Seville is the place to go to see a wide variety of flamenco shows, although we’ve also seen good shows in both Barcelona (even though it’s not flamenco country) and Cordoba.

When you’re in Seville (#1 on the map), start with the Flamenco Dance Museum. Purchase the combo ticket that includes the museum and a late afternoon flamenco show. On your second night in Seville (and seriously, spend at least two nights and preferably three in this most Spanish of cities), attend a flamenco show at Los Gallos.

Two female flamenco dances dancing outside against a backdrop of rounded columns in Seville.
Flamenco dancers in Seville

The Flamenco Dance Museum exhibits a marvelous collection of flamenco-related objects, films, and paintings and explains the history of flamenco and the meaning of the various terms. Baile is dance, Bailaor is dancer, cantaor is singer, palmas is the rhythmic hand-clapping that accompanies flamenco song and dance, and duende is the soul force that inspires the art of flamenco.

The flamenco dancers and musicians at the Flamenco Museum put on a heart-stomping hour-long concert. Get your tickets in advance. The room was packed!

Options for Seeing Flamenco in Seville

The show at Los Gallos is intimate and incredible. We’ve seen it twice and both times we were completely blown away.

Seeing Flamenco in Barcelona

Catalan Barcelona (#2) is not a center for flamenco. However, we saw our first performance of flamenco there at the Palau de la Música. Called Opera y Flamenco, we enjoyed an utterly spellbinding evening of opera arias by a tenor and a soprano, flamenco dancing by a man and woman, and traditional flamenco singing by a woman. A band of about eight that included guitars, piano, cello, violins, and drums blew the roof off.

I was having heart palpitations by the end. Rarely, if ever, have we experienced such an awe-inspiring evening of music. The flamenco dancing was enough to turn even the most hardened non-romantic into a giant goose bump.

The concert we saw may not be playing when you’re in Barcelona but definitely make room in your itinerary to tour the Palau de la Música or take in a concert. The stunningly ornate modernista building will take your breath away. I write more about it in Favorite Concerts & Performances in Europe.

Seeing the Palau de la Música in Barcelona

Historical Art–a Must See for the Artsy Traveler

Historical art in Spain takes in a lot of centuries, going as far back as 30,000 years ago and beyond. Spain has several cave art sites and is world-renowned for its master artists, including Velasquez, El Greco, and Goya, among others.

Cave Art

So far, we’ve visited only one cave art site in Spain—La Pileta (#3) near Ronda in southern Spain. The hour-long tour in the dimly lit cave took us past paintings that are at least 30,000 years old. Reservations are required; check the website to book your tour time. The drive up a steep and winding road to the entrance of the cave is half the fun of a visit here.

We learned about the Caves of Pileta (Cueva de la Pileta) from the owner of the beautiful little hotel we stayed at out in the countryside near Ronda (see Where to Stay in Spain: My Best Picks).

We’re big cave art fans and plan to visit the ‘queen’ of the cave art sites –the Cave of Altamira (Cueva de Altamira) in northern Spain near the charming town of Santillana del Mar. Featured are charcoal drawings and polychrome paintings of animals and human hands.

Detail of the replica of paintings of the Cave of Altamira

The Cave at Altamira is the premier site for exploring prehistoric art in Spain. Buy tickets in advance from the website.

The Prado

The Prado in Madrid (#4) is one of the world’s major art galleries, on a par with the Louvre and the Rijksmuseum. We enjoyed touring the Prado which exhibits many of the biggies, including Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights, Velasquez’s Las Meninas, Goya’s 6th of May, and a whack of Raphaels, Rubenses, Durers, El Grecos, et al.

The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch High Resolution 2

Shown above is the Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, surely one of the coolest paintings ever!

Although large, the Prado not as daunting as the Louvre and certainly not as crowded. You can get fairly close to masterpieces that you’ve seen in art books for years. There’s no doubt that the real thing is, well, the real thing! There’s no comparison to a reproduction.

Put the Prado at the top of your artsy must-see list when you visit Madrid.

Options for Touring Art Museums in Madrid

Modern Art for the Artsy Traveler

Spain is home to several modern art museums, the most famous being the Reina Sofia and the Guggenheim Bilbao. Don’t miss either one if you’re a modern art fan.

Reina Sofia

The Reina Sofia (#5) is the major modern art museum in Madrid and houses Picasso’s Guernica along with assorted works by Miró, Dalí, etc. Guernica did not come to Spain until the 1980s after the death of Franco. Now it has pride of place in a room of its own.

The painting is massive and far more powerful in real life than in reproduction. You’ll sense how enraged Picasso felt as he painted it.

The Reina Sofia is a well-designed gallery that combines a modern area with the arched hallways and barred windows of an old hospital. In many of the rooms, a film representative of the period is playing. Most were from the silent era which made following them a lot easier.

The Reina Sofia is included in my post showcasing Awesome Modern Art Museums in Europe: Best Bets for the Artsy Traveler.

Guggenheim Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (#6) is hands down one of my very favorite modern art museums in Europe. The building itself is fabulous as are the many sculptures surrounding it, including the beloved Puppy. He’s the massive Highland Terrier created by Jeff Koons and made from living flowers that guards the entrance to the museum.

Puppy stands guard outside the Guggenheim Bilbao

The Guggenheim Bilbao is included in my post showcasing the Awesome Modern Art Museums in Europe: Best Bets for the Artsy Traveler.

Options for Touring the Guggenheim Bilbao

Museums Dedicated to Individual Artists

Several of the most famous artists of the 20th century were born in Spain including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and Salvador Dalí. Each has museums dedicated to their art along with pieces in most major collections.

Picasso Museum

For more Picasso, visit the exquisite Picasso Museum (Museu Picasso) (#7) in the Barri Gòtic, the medieval center of Barcelona. Picasso truly was a master of it all—a painter, printmaker, ceramicist, sculptor, stage designer, and even a poet and playwright. The Museu Picasso includes over 4,000 works artfully displayed.

Miró Foundation

A visit to the Miró Foundation (Fundació Joan Miró (#8)) in Barcelona is just plain fun. Located in the Parc de Montjuïc, it’s a subway or bus ride from the Plaça de Catalunya and well worth an afternoon of your time. I write more about it in my post Two Packed & Fabulous Days in Trendy Barcelona.

Dalí Museum

If you’re driving from southwest France into Spain, consider stopping in Figueres to visit the majorly quirky Dalí Theatre-Museum (#9). If you are a Dalí fan (I confess I am not), the museum is a worthwhile stop. The area also has other Dalí sites including the Salvador Dalí House in Portlligat near the charming little town of Cadaques.

Cathedrals to Awe the Artsy Traveler

In this very Catholic country, you’ll find lots of churches and cathedrals, many dripping with gold brought back from the New World by the conquistadors.

Learn more about them in these posts.

Options for Touring Cathedrals in Spain

My favorite cathedral, hands down, is the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Still unfinished after decades of building, the Sagrada Familia is so incredibly quirky at the same time as being heart-stoppingly stunning. The stained glass floods your senses, blocking out the sounds of fellow travelers. Stop, sit, and let your soul be stirred.

Stained glass windows in the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona - an artsy favorite
Interior of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Palaces–Artsy Favorites

The must-see palace in Spain is, of course, the Alhambra (#16) in Granada, the center of Moorish Spain back in the day. I write about my suggestions for visiting Granada and touring the Alhambra in A Culture Steeped Itinerary to Tour Andalusia Comfortably in 10 Days.

Allocate at least two nights in Granada so that you can spend the entire day touring the Alhambra and the Nasrid Palace. The complex is massive and requires stamina to enjoy. Pace yourself and make sure you get reservations well in advance of your visit.

View of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain--a must-see for the artsy traveler
The fabled Alhambra in Granada

In Madrid, the Royal Palace is also definitely worth a visit.

Conclusion

One of the many things I love about traveling in Spain is the variety of interesting sights and regions. At least two weeks is needed to even scratch the surface of Spain. It’s a huge country!

Must-see regions are Catalonia to visit Barcelona, Andalusia to visit Seville, Cordoba, and Granada, Madrid and Toledo in the center, and northern Spain from Santiago de Compostela in the far northwest to Bilbao and Basque country and the Pyrenees in the far west.

Artsy travel experiences abound. Here are more posts to explore:

Whitewashed house in Sparin

Best Itineraries to Tour Favorite Regions in Spain

My two Spain itineraries last for three weeks each because, frankly, you can’t “do” Spain in one trip. But in a three-week period, you can see a fair bit of it by focusing on either the south or the north.

This post presents two itineraries that both include Madrid.

Itinerary 1 starts in Barcelona, goes down the coast to Andalusia, swings by Madrid, visits charming Zaragoza and ends in Barcelona.

Itinerary 2 starts in Madrid and explores Salamanca and northern Spain, before swinging south to take in Burgos and ending back in Madrid.

Sample Itinerary 1: Barcelona and the South

The map below shows the route for a three-week trip to Spain starting and ending in Barcelona.

Day 1: Arrive in Barcelona

Go into Barcelona and get settled. You’ll spend three nights here so you have plenty of time to explore one of Europe’s most visited destinations.

Days 2 to 3: Barcelona

Spend three nights and two full days exploring Barcelona. Highlights include the Sagrada Familia, the Gaudi architecture, the Picasso Museum, the Palau de la Musica, and the Miro Foundation. Read more in How to Spend Two Packed & Fabulous Days in Beautiful Barcelona.

Many Catalan people would prefer Catalonia not be a part of Spain. The last time I was in Catalonia staying for a week in Girona, a Catalan stronghold, Catalan flags bloomed from the windows of many buildings and people spoke Catalan more readily than Spanish.

But don’t worry, most people in the service industries will likely speak English to you or at least respond to your attempts at Spanish.

Memories of Barcelona

One of my most vivid memories of Catalonia was during a visit to Barcelona when I was 21. I had traveled for two weeks with friends along the Costa Brava and then returned to Barcelona to spend a day sightseeing before flying back to England where I was studying. This was in the mid-1970s when Franco was in power and Spain was not the hip, happenin’ and awesome place to travel that it is now.

I walked into the Plaça de Catalunya and sat on the edge of one of the fountains to watch the world go by. The sun shone, people strolled, all seemed peaceful.

Suddenly, a handful of young men entered the plaza from a side street. They carried two or three placards and were chanting. I stood up for a better look, fascinated by this evidence of Spanish protest in the midst of fascism. I started walking toward the protestors.

Bad move.

A phalanx of armed soldiers started marching directly towards me, sub-machine guns cocked and ready. I looked around. The people who had filled the plaza with noise and laughter moments before were gone. I was completely alone—just me and my orange backpack with its grubby Canadian flag.

I picked up my pack and retreated as smartly as I could. The soldiers veered away, presumably to arrest the protestors, and I boarded the first bus I found to take me to the airport—seven hours before my flight was scheduled to take off.

Barcelona Today

I returned to Barcelona in 2010 and again in 2015. What a difference!

Barcelona is fun to visit, although in recent years it’s become extremely crowded. Avoid it at the height of summer and plan your time to avoid the worst of the crowds.

Read my suggestions for enjoying a two-day visit to Barcelona in Two Packed & Fabulous Days in Trendy Barcelona.

Day 5: Valencia

Pick up a car at Barcelona airport and start driving south. Spain is BIG! You can’t easily drive from Barcelona to Andalusia in one day so I suggest breaking your trip in Valencia. It’s a pleasant city and the City of Arts and Sciences (La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias) is a spectacular and imposing space well worth a few hours of your time.

Days 6 to 11: Andalusia

You should really spend at least a week in this iconic area of Spain, but if you only have fivedays, then focus on Granada and Seville. Both are Spain must-sees. If you have time for only one of the two cities, then my vote is Seville. I never get tired of visiting this beautiful city with its wonderful food, fiery flamenco and great atmosphere.

You could easily spend a week in this region of Spain enjoying the historic Seville and Granada, before exploring the stunning White Towns – Los Pueblos Blancos—and Ronda with its gorgeous gorge.

Read more about Andalusia in A Culture-Steeped Itinerary to Tour Andalusia Comfortably in 10 Days.

Here are some GetYourGuide tour options in Andalusia:

Powered by GetYourGuide

Day 12: Cordoba

On your way north to Madrid, stay a night in Cordoba, one of Spain’s most magical cities (and that’s saying something). Explore La Mezquita, the immense mosque dating from 784 A.D, that features a magnificent columned prayer hall and Byzantine mosaics. In the evening, wander the tiny streets of this lovely city and take in a flamenco performance. I don’t think an artsy traveler can ever see too much flamenco..

Day 13: Toledo

Toledo makes a good stop for a peaceful night before driving into Madrid. It’s a lovely little town with plenty to see. At nights, it’s particularly stunning when the crowds have dissipated and you have the floodlit cathedral to yourself.

Days 14 to 18: Madrid

Drive north to Madrid, leave your car in a parking lot outside the city, or better yet stay at my favorite Madrid hotel: Sabataini drop your car off at the airport, and then spend your last day exploring Spain’s capital. You could easily spend a week in Madrid, but if you only have time for one day, check out my post How to Enjoy a Perfect Artsy Traveler Day in Madrid.

Day 19: Zaragoza

Although on the tourist trail, Zaragoza is a wonderful place to spend the night. We toured the magnificent baroque Nuestra Señora del Pilar basilica, checked out the Aljafería, an 11th-century Moorish palace, and enjoyed some of the best tapas of all our trips to Spain. Zaragoza makes a good place to break the trip from Madrid to Barcelona.

Day 20-21: Barcelona

Drop your car at the airport and spend another night in Barcelona. You could spend your final day taking a tour to stunning Montserrat.

Sample Itinerary 2: Madrid and the North

The map below shows the route for a three-week trip to Spain starting and ending in Madrid that skips Barcelona and southern Spain but does include western and northern Spain.

Day 1: Arrive in Madrid

Go into Madrid and get settled. You’ll spend three nights here so you have plenty of time to explore one of my favorite European cities.

Days 2 to 4: Madrid

Visit Madrid for its fabulous art museums—the Prado and the Reina Sofia. Also, stroll through Retiro Park (El Parque del Buen Retiro or just El Retiro), then join the locals for a late dinner.

Madrid is definitely worth at least three nights so you can thoroughly enjoy seeing some of Europe’s greatest art “in the flesh” and be a part of the lively evening scene.

Read more about my Madrid recommendations in Exploring Fascinating Madrid–Europe’s: Best-Kept Secret for the Artsy Traveler

Day 5: Toledo

Pick up a car at Madrid airport and drive to Toledo, a truly delightful place to visit. Perched high on a hill famously depicted in the painting View over Toledo by El Greco, Toledo pulses with history.

Walk the narrow streets, buy some objects made from the world-famous Toledo steel and check out the stunning cathedral.

Panorama of Toledo with the Alcantara Bridge – Spain

Day 6: Salamanca

We visited Salamanca on a driving trip that took us diagonally across northwest Spain from San Sebastian in the northeast to Salamanca in the west, near the Portuguese border and on the same latitude as Porto in northern Portugal.

I highly recommend adding Salamanca to your itinerary. It’s a laid-back, inviting, and friendly Spanish city with a fabulous art nouveau museum.

Enjoy a glass of wine in the massive Plaza Mayor, one of Europe’s most spectacular living rooms, and listen to roving bands of guitarists dressed in medieval garb play vaguely Mexican-sounding music.

Apparently, many people who emigrated to Mexico came from Salamanca and some of the wealthier ones have returned to make Salamanca prosperous. It certainly is a beautifully maintained city.

Days 7 to 10: Santiago de Compostela

Take your time driving from Salamanca to Santiago de Compostela, perhaps stopping enroute in Vigo before heading north. Santiago de Compostela can be crowded, but it’s a fascinating city to explore with an amazing food culture. Definitely check out some of its wonderful restaurants.

Days 11 to 16: Northern Spain

The landscape in the north is mountainous and lusciously green—not the seared brown plain you expect to see in Spain. You could easily spend a week traveling from west to east (or the reverse). I provide a suggested itinerary in my post Exploring Northern Spain & Basque Country.

Fuente Dé mountains in the Picos de Europa, Camaleño, Cantabria, Spain

You can also walk the width of northern Spain on the Camino. I haven’t, but I know many people who have, including guest poster Elizabeth Petrie. Read her two posts about her trip:

Days 17 to 18: Bilbao and San Sebastian

The big attraction in Bilbao is the Guggenheim, which you can see in a few hours, and then choose to move on to San Sebastian where sampling pinxhos makes for a fabulous evening out.

Day 19: Burgos

Break your journey between Bilbao and Madrid in historic Burgos. You’ll find lots there to keep you busy, including a visit to the terrific Museo de Evolución Humana (Museum of Human Evolution).

Days 20/21: Madrid

Drop your car at the airport, spend another night in Madrid (take in a flamenco show!), and start planning your next trip to Spain.

Tours in Spain

Here are some tours available through GetYourGuide:

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What Regions of Spain are Your Favorites?

Do you have a favorite region of Spain that I’ve left out? Please share your recommends in the Comments below.

Here are links to more of my posts about fantastic Spain:

Art Exhibitions in Europe in 2021

Most of the world-class art exhibitions that were scheduled to open in galleries and museums in Europe in 2020 were postponed to later in 2021 or 2022.

The following list of art exhibitions in Europe in 2021 doubles as my personal wish list. If I’m lucky enough to return to Europe this fall, I plan to take in at least a few of them. And if not, 2022 here I come.

My list of art exhibitions in Europe includes all the exhibitions that I’d go out of my way to see, which means it reflects my interests and preferences. I hope you also find some exhibitions that pique your interest and that you are able to get to. But if not, reading about them may be the next best thing. My list also includes arts-inspired novels related to the subjects of the exhibitions. For more artsy novels, check out Art In Fiction, the sister website to Artsy Traveler.

Basel

Sophie Taeuber-Arp: Living Abstraction at the Kunstmuseum Basel

The Swiss artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp “pioneered a form of abstraction that fused elements of Dadaism, avant-garde experimentalism, and her technical training as a teacher of applied art.” Until recently, Sophie Taeuber-Arp was over-shadowed by her better-known husband, Jean Arp, but she and her work were very influential. Also, her paintings are delightful. This exhibition is the first to present a comprehensive retrospective of Sophie Taeuber-Arp’s work to an international audience.

Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Composition abstraite désaxée

Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Following its exhibition in Basel, which runs from March 20 to June 20, Sophie Taeuber-Arp: Living Abstraction travels to the Tate Modern in London (July 15 to October 17) and then to the Museum of Modern Art in New York (November 21 to March 12, 2022).

For more information, check the museum’s website.

Dresden

Vermeer: On Reflection at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister 

One of Vermeer’s most famous works–Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window–has been a feature of the collection at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden since 1742. This masterpiece–and its stunning restoration–will be the centerpiece of the exhibition that includes nine other paintings by Vermeer along with over 50 works of Dutch genre painting from the second half of the 17th century A segment of the exhibition will also feature Vermeer’s painting technique and the recent restoration of the Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window.

The exhibition is scheduled to run from April 6 to December 9. For more information and to purchase tickets, check the website.

Suggested Reading

Girl with a Peal Earring by Tracy Chevalier from the Visual Arts category on Art In Fiction transports readers to a bygone time and place in a richly-imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired one of Vermeer’s most celebrated paintings.

The Vermeer Deception by Jennifer S. Alderson from the Visual Arts category on Art In Fiction is a fun mystery set in Munich, Heidelberg, and Amsterdam in which an art historian finds–and then loses–a portrait by Johannes Vermeer.

London

Epic Iran at the Victoria & Albert Museum 

This massive exhibition explores over 5,000 years of art, design, and culture in Iran. The Victoria & Albert is one of my favorite museums in London, and in my experience, their special exhibitions are first rate. The monumental Epic Iran exhibition includes both ancient and modern works. Here are some of the highlights:

  • Horoscope of Iskander Sultan from 1411
  • Jewelry, such as an armlet from 500-330 BC found in present-day Afghanistan
  • Pottery, such as a bottle and bowl with poetry from 1180-1220
  • Costumes, such as a woman’s jacket, blouse, and skirt from 1800
  • Contemporary paintings and sculptures

The exhibition is set to open on May 29. Check the website for up-to-date information.

Victoria & Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London

Suggested Reading

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani from the Decorative Arts category on Art In Fiction is an historical novel set in 17th-century Persia.

The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali from the Literature category on Art In Fiction is an historical novel set during a time of political upheaval in Tehran in 1953.

I’ve long been a fan of the work of Jean Dubuffet. Many years ago, we drove to the village of Périgny-sur-Yerres about fifteen miles southeast of Paris in search of the Fondation Dubuffet, but alas, we arrived to find it closed. Those were in the days before smartphones on which access to museum websites is now a finger swipe away. We did get to peek through the fence to see a portion of Dubuffet’s distinctive white and black sculptures. Fortunately, a few years ago we were able to clamber around Jardin d’émail (the “garden of enamel”) installed in the expansive sculpture garden surrounding the marvelous Kröller-Müller Museum near Arnhem.

The Brutal Beauty exhibition at the Barbican Gallery is scheduled from May 17 to August 22. The exhibition is the first major survey of Dubuffet’s work for over 50 years and showcases four decades of his career, including his whimsical statues, butterfly assemblages, and giant canvases.

The exhibition also includes Dubuffet’s personal collection of Art Brut works. The term Art Brut, coined by Dubuffet, translates as “raw art”.

Check the Barbican Gallery website for more information.

First off, I love any excuse to visit the National Gallery in London. Its collection of masterpieces takes my breath away–from Turner to Monet to Botticelli to Artemisia and so many more. Almost every room contains a painting that I recognize. Check out this overview of the collection highlights and you’ll see what I mean.

The exhibition of work by Albrecht Dürer is scheduled to run from November 20 to February 27, 2022 and it looks amazing. Ever since visiting Dürer’s home in Nuremberg, I’ve been a firm fan. Actually, I admired his work for many years before that, but visiting his home and watching a demonstration of how he made his famous woodcuts really cemented my opinions.

Dürer’s home and museum in Nuremberg
Dürer’s woodcut of a rhinocerous

The National Gallery exhibition follows Dürer’s travels across Europe through his paintings, drawings, prints, and letters. From the exhibition description: Charting his journeys to the Alps, Italy, Venice and the Netherlands, the exhibition will explore how Dürer’s travels sparked an exchange of ideas with Netherlandish and Italian Renaissance artists, fuelled his curiosity and creativity, and increased his fame and influence across Europe.  

Check the National Gallery website for more information and to get tickets. Or join the National Gallery and go for free.

Suggested Reading

The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley from the Decorative Arts category on Art In Fiction is an “hilarious, bawdy, and irreverent …tale” about a 16th-century relic hunter and artist Albrecht Dürer who conspire to fabricate Christ’s burial shroud.

Drifts by Kate Zambreno from the Literature category on Art In Fiction is a story of artistic ambition, personal crisis, and the possibilities and failure of literature in which a woman’s love for the work of Albrecht Dürer plays a role.

Madrid

Georgia O’Keeffe at the Thyssen-Bornemisza 

This major retrospective of the work of Georgia O’Keeffe is the first in Spain and is a complete survey of O’Keeffe’s career from 1910 to her death in 1986. I think the exhibition may be similar to the one I saw at the Tate Modern a few years ago. If so, it’s a must-see–one of the most beautifully curated and informative special exhibitions I’ve ever seen.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Madrid between April 20 and August 8, make a beeline for the Thyssen-Bornemisza, which in itself is worth an extended visit. The permanent collection includes an awesome collection of medieval art along with major works, from the Renaissance to the 20th century.

Get tickets for the museum and the exhibition.

Suggested Reading

Georgia by Dawn Tripp from the Visual Arts category on Art In Fiction is a dazzling work of historical fiction that brings to life Georgia O’Keeffe, her love affair with photographer Alfred Stieglitz, and her quest to become an independent artist.

Queen of the Owls by Barbara Linn Probst from the Photography category on Art In Fiction is the powerful story of a woman’s search for wholeness, framed around the art and life of iconic American painter Georgia O’Keeffe.

Paris

Botticelli at the Musée Jacquemart-André 

Oh, how I hope I can see this exhibition! It’s scheduled to run from September 10 to January 24, 2022 which means if my planned trip to Europe in September happens, I’ll get to see it. Botticelli is one of my favorite Renaissance artists. I love the clarity of his figures, the subtle ways in which he uses color, and his depiction of draped material, not to mention the way he paints curly locks of red hair in masterpieces such as The Birth of Venus.

The exhibition at the Musée Jacquemart-André is being touted as a major survey of Botticelli’s works. Forty works by Botticelli will be on display along with several paintings by contemporaries who were influenced by him.

Check the Musée Jacquemart-André website for information and tickets.

Suggested Reading

Botticelli is a popular subject for authors. Several novels listed on Art In Fiction are inspired by his life and work. Here are two:

Botticelli’s Muse by Dorah Blume from the Visual Arts category on Art In Fiction is a provocative historical novel about Botticelli and his conflicts with Florence’s Medici family, and the woman at the heart of his paintings.

The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence by Alyssa Palombo from the Visual Arts category on Art In Fiction is a lush and sensual interpretation of Medici Florence, artist Sandro Botticelli, and the muse that inspired them all.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France

The Giacometti: A Family of Creators, Fondation Maeght

The Fondation Maeght is one of my favorite museums in France and is included in my post on the Top Ten Modern Art Museums in Europe. Whenever we’re traveling in the south of France, we always stop into the Fondation Maeght to see what’s on.

Gregg at the Fondation Maeght

The Giacometti: A Family of Creators exhibition highlights the Giacometti family of artists, starting with Alberto Giacometti, its most famous member. Many of his sculptures are already permanent features in the gardens at the Fondation Maeght. Also exhibited is work by his father Giovanni, and his cousin Augusto, both painters, as well as his brothers Diego, the middle brother, sculptor and designer, and Bruno, the youngest brother and architect.

If you are able to make it to any of these exhibitions, please share your experience in the comments below.

Exploring the Area

Here are some GetYourGuide tours in Europe.

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Traveling in Central Spain: Best Destinations for the Artsy Traveler

Traveling in central Spain is a commitment! Distances are vast and destinations spread out. You will drive and drive and drive–and not see a whole heck of a lot. The journey by car from Zaragoza in the east to Toledo just south of Madrid took us about six hours.

Fortunately, the long drives are rewarded with lots of see in the four cities described in this post: Madrid, Toledo, Zaragoza, and Salamanca.

Here are the four places on a map.

Map created with Wanderlog, for making itineraries on iOS and Android

You’re most likely to visit Zaragoza and Salamanca if you’re driving into or out of Spain from France (Zaragoza) or Portugal (Salamanca).

The fastest way to reach Madrid is to either fly or to take a high-speed train from Barcelona. Once in Madrid, visit Toledo on a day trip with either a tour or on public transit, or stop in on your way south if you’re driving.

Auto Europe Car Rental

I suggest allocating at least three nights for Madrid and one night for each of the other three cities en route to other parts of Spain.

Traveling in Spain: Madrid is the Heart

Madrid is monumental. Large avenues lined with massive buildings give the city a solid but not terribly intimate feel.

Panoramic aerial view over Madrid, Spain
Panoramic aerial view over Madrid, Spain.

On one trip we happened to visit on September 29, the national day of protest against proposed government cuts. Thousands of demonstrators in the central Puerta del Sol wore red and chanted “No!”.

We’d heard that the whole city was shut down, but, as tourists, we didn’t experience any inconvenience beyond the taxis taking longer routes to get to the museums and tacking on a €2 surcharge. Considering the fares were around €5, we weren’t bothered!

On another trip, we stayed for two weeks and loved having the time to thoroughly explore Madrid. Check out my post: Exploring Fascinating Madrid–Europe’s: Best-Kept Secret for the Artsy Traveler for more in depth information about exploring Madrid.

Map of Madrid

The map shows the location of the six major sites described in this post.

This map was created with Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

Art Museums in Madrid

If you’re an art lover, you’re likely visiting Madrid to tour the Prado, the Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum of Art—all located in Madrid’s “Golden Triangle of Art.”

The Prado

The Prado is simply wonderful. With over 7,000 paintings in its collection and around 1,500 on display, your artsy heart will be beating wildly. My favorite piece in the Prado is The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. It’s even more creepy and surreal in real life than in reproductions.

 The Garden of Earthly Delights in the Museo del Prado in Madrid,  
by Hieronymus Bosch ,  c. 1495–1505.
The Garden of Earthly Delights in the Museo del Prado in Madrid,
by Hieronymus Bosch , c. 1495–1505.

Other notable works in the Prado include Velasquez’s Las Meninas and other fine works, particularly those of the Spanish royal family, and Goya’s 6th of May and Las pinturas negras (The Black Paintings). You’ll also find great works by El Greco, Rubens, Bruegel, Rembrandt, and van Dyck.

Spare some time for the art of Spanish masters, such as Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and José de Ribera, and the stark figures of Francisco de  Zurbarán. I’ve become partial to Zurbarán after seeing a major exhibition of his work in New York a few years ago. His figures are incredibly compelling.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

Visit the Thyssen-Bornemisza to see a huge range of art styles and artists spanning the centuries from the Middle Ages to the moderns.

It’s a veritable ‘who’s who’ of western art. Start on the second floor (the top floor) and work your way through the 13th and 14th centuries (my faves), check out the Portrait of King Henry VIII by Holbein the Younger, then stroll past Tintorettos, Titians, Caravaggios, et al.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza also includes masterpieces by van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Goya, Gainsborough, and Gauguin, to name a few. And then there are the moderns—Kandinsky, Picasso, Braque, Dali, and Madrid’s own Juan Gris.

Take your time and soak it all in!

Reina Sofia

You’ll probably want to spread your museum-going over two days. Seeing all three museums in the Golden Triangle in one day would be artsy suicide. Pace yourself!

Visit the Reina Sofia to view Picasso’s powerful Guernica, which he painted to protest the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is displayed in a room of its own. Arrive early or late to view it without the crowds.

The rest of the museum houses an excellent collection of contemporary art, including works by Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró.

Botanical Gardens & Parque del Buen Retiro

I love European gardens, and these two parks adjacent to each other in Madrid are among the best. We spent a lot of time strolling through the botanical gardens to see a glorious display of dahlias (it was September) along with an outdoor exhibition of photographs documenting seminal moments in Spanish history from 1896 to the present.

Some of the shots were just amazing—dead bodies in the streets during the civil war, Franco riding in a car with Nixon, the Beatles wearing matador hats, and on and on—100 photographs. I wish I could have read the commentaries, but my Spanish is just about nil.

 The Beatles visit Madrid in Spain
The Beatles visit Madrid!

From the botanical gardens, wander into the main gardens where you’ll come across an artificial lake, exhibition spaces, and monuments, including one to the 191 victims of the 11 March 2004 train bombings in Madrid. You’ll also find lots of trees and shady pathways. The park is a treat!

Plaza Mayor

The grand central square of Madrid is an attractive open space that features imposing architecture and Madrid’s central tourist office. I liked all the archways.

Old Madrid after Dark

Madrid after dark is cooking and intense. Grab a drink and some tapas in an outdoor café and watch the world go by, then wander farther to find another place for dinner. Be careful not to over-order in Madrid! Portions are massive, and much of the food is fried and wrapped in ham. It’s tasty but more than a bit on the stodgy side.

Madrid cuisine, appetizer - hearty food in Spain.
Madrid cuisine can be a bit heavy.

Gregg and I often order one dish to share. The servers don’t mind.

Tour the Royal Palace (Palacio Real)

The Royal Palace in Madrid is the largest palace in western Europe. With 2,800 rooms, it’s almost twice the size of Versailles.

You can tour of the palace to view the only surviving example of a Stradivarius quartet, a portion of the permanent art collection, and the Royal Kitchens (only open to the public since 2017).

Traveling in Spain: Don’t Miss Toledo

Take a day trip from Madrid to explore beautiful Toledo or drive there on your way south.

If you’re driving, head straight for the massive car park at the base of the city. You can’t miss it. Just be sure to note where you parked your car and where you exited. Take pictures of your stall, the floor number, and your exit.

We did not follow this advice and ended up walking miles out of our way late at night.

You can’t help but like Toledo. It’s charming with a capital C.

Perched on a hill, Toledo, the city on a hill, is a World Heritage Site famous for its monuments, its awesome cathedral, and for being the “City of the Three Cultures”, thanks to the cultural influences of Christians, Muslims, and Jews. The city was also the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom from 542 to 725 CE, which is kind of cool.

Here’s Gregg in front of the classic view of Toledo made famous in a painting by El Greco.

In front of the classic view of Toledo, Spain
Gregg Simpson in front of the classic view of Toledo, Spain

Toledo is a popular tour stop, so during the day, you’ll have to dodge busloads of tourists huffing and puffing through the narrow streets in the stifling heat. Scoot around them to get a look inside the stunning cathedral that lives up to the hype.

I was mesmerized by the choir stalls. The carving on each stall is different.

Toledo is the place to buy items made from the famous Toledo steel. Display windows bristle with swords and knives and other sharp things that would never make it through airport security in your carry-on bag. I bought several pairs of sewing scissors as gifts.

Store window display of swords in Toledo
Store window display in Toledo

In the evening, once the tour busses have left, the streets fill with locals. Weave through the streets of the old town in search of tapas and wine. You’ll find plenty!

Traveling in Spain: Visit Off the Beaten Track Zaragoza

You’ll likely visit Zaragoza en route to somewhere else. It makes a convenient stopping point for drivers coming from France through the Pyrenees. You can also break up the drive from Barcelona to Madrid in Zaragoza.

The city is the perfect one-night stop along a desolate stretch of a very large country. And you’ll have a chance to enjoy a virtually tourist-free Spanish city that has a great deal to offer the visitor.

Zaragoza Overview

As the capital of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Zaragoza is a good size, but the interesting part of the city is compact enough to stroll around with just one inexpensive taxi ride out to the Aljafería Palace.

Here’s a map of the city showing the sights mentioned in this post:

Places mapped by Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

The streets and shops are prosperous-looking, clean, and thronged with locals. You’re unlikely to see many tourists, although you’ll find an air-conditioned and well-staffed tourist office on the main plaza, so obviously tourists do go there.

A friendly young man at the tourist office told us where to go for cut-price tapas that evening. Apparently, there’s a street where all the tapas joints charge just €2 for a tapa and a glass of vino. Count me in!

Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar

Zaragoza borders the Ebro River which you’ll probably drive across on your way into town and see again when you visit Zaragoza’s main sight—the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar (#1 on the map).

Cathedral and Ebro River in Zaragoza. Aragon, Spain
Cathedral and Ebro river in Zaragoza. Aragon, Spain

Built between 1681 and 1872, this massive Baroque cathedral with its fabulously tile-topped cupolas and turrets is worth a look. Wander around the vast aisles and check out the highlight—a roomful of paintings by Goya.

Zaragoza is Goya’s hometown, so across from the cathedral is a museum (#2) dedicated to his work. We didn’t visit it on this trip, instead opting to grab a cab to the Aljafería Palace which reportedly dates from Moorish times.

Aljafería Palace

We were virtually alone as we ambled through the various rooms to admire interesting exhibits and take photos of the attractive—and empty—courtyard complete with reflecting pond, palm trees, and arches. The Aljafería Palace (#3) is no Alhambra, but it’s worth a quick look.

Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza, Spain
Palace built in Zaragoza in the 11th century.

In the evening, stroll through streets comfortably filled with locals to find tapas. We arrived at the place of the €2 tapas at 8 pm, only to find it and most others still closed. This is Spain, where things typically don’t get going until well past 9 or 10.

But persevere and you’ll find that even regular-priced tapas are not expensive. Zaragoza is a bargain for food and drink.

We stayed in the Hotel NH Collection Gran Hotel de Zaragoza (#4) which was comfortable albeit a bit bland. But the location was good and we could walk everywhere.

Traveling in Spain: Don’t Miss Lovely Salamanca

Visit Salamanca on your way to or from Portugal. If your accommodation budget extends to a splurge, book into the Parador de Salamanca, located about a fifteen-minute walk from the town.

Cathedral of Salamanca next to the river in Salamanca, Spain
Cathedral of Salamanca next to the river

Paradors in Spain are special hotels usually located in historic buildings, such as convents and palaces. They have a certain level of luxury with prices to match, although bargains can be had. Check the booking sites!

The parador in Salamanca is one of the few modern paradors in Spain. Its main claim to fame is its location overlooking the skyline of old Salamanca.

Here’s the view from our room:

Parador of Salamanca

Salamanca is a great place to visit for its old town, fabulous central plaza, and Casa Lis, a marvelous art nouveau museum. Here’s a map of the highlights mentioned in this post.

Trip map created with Wanderlog, the best trip planner app on iOS and Android

Casa Lis Art Nouveau and Art Deco Museum

If you love art deco, you’ll adore this museum. La Casa Lis itself is an extraordinary building in the art nouveau style with plenty of stained glass. Exhibits of over 2,500 pieces of art deco and art nouveau objets d’art include porcelain figures, gold and ivory statues, enamels, bronze items, toys, and even Fabergé eggs.

Casa Lis Art Nouveau and Art Deco Museum, in Salamanca, Spain
Casa Lis Art Nouveau and Art Deco Museum, in Salamanca, Spain

The display of Paris fashion dolls from the late 1800s was especially compelling. Spend a couple of hours strolling from room to room in the virtually empty museum.

Plaza Mayor

Wander uphill into Salamanca’s lovely old town. Very little car traffic is allowed, so the streets are clear and easy to walk in. As the sun begins to go down, people flood into the streets to enjoy the evening air.

We arrived in the Plaza Mayor to find it packed with thousands of people waving placards. Just as in Madrid, Spain’s austerity measures were not going over well with the citizens of Salamanca. However, the protest was one of the most good-humored I’ve seen. The crowd consisted mostly of families and middle-aged or older people smiling and laughing as they periodically brandished their signs. The gist of most signs was a large, red “NO”.

If you encounter a protest (unlikely!), wait until it moves off , then snag a table to gaze out over what must be one of the loveliest plazas in Spain.

Enjoying Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor appears to be square, lined on all four sides by uniform facades that date from the 18th century. Bands of young men dressed in medieval garb played Mexican-sounding music. We wondered why the music sounded so Mexican and were told by our server that Salamanca has maintained ties with Mexico and Latin America. Apparently, many of the Spanish people who emigrated to Mexico came from Salamanca, and some of the wealthier ones have returned to make Salamanca so prosperous looking. It’s a beautifully maintained city.

Around 10:30, when the light still hadn’t faded much (it was early July), the lights were turned on, and everyone in the square gasped, much to the amusement of our server who just rolled his eyes. I guess he sees it every night.

Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, Spain
Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, Spain at night.

Traveling in Spain: Where to Stay in Central Spain

For accommodation suggestions in Madrid, Toledo, Zaragoza, and Salamanca, see Where to Stay in Spain: My Best Picks.

Conclusion

Have you visited the cities described in this post? Leave your comments below. Here are some more Artsy Traveler posts about Spain: