Madrid, Spain: The Prado Museum, Royal Palace and Spanish Capital

Madrid sits at the geographic center of Spain, on a high plateau about 2,100 feet above sea level. It has been the country’s capital since 1561, when King Philip II moved the court here from Toledo.

Today, Madrid is a city of wide boulevards, grand plazas and world-class museums. It also runs on a schedule that confuses first-time visitors: lunch often starts at 2 p.m., dinner at 10, and the streets stay busy well past midnight.

The Prado Museum

The Museo del Prado is one of the great art museums of the world. Its collection spans from the 12th to the early 20th century, with particular strength in Spanish, Italian and Flemish painting.

Works not to miss include:

• Las Meninas by Velázquez, considered one of the most analyzed paintings in Western art
• The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch, a triptych that has fascinated and puzzled viewers since the early 1500s
• The Third of May 1808 by Goya, depicting the execution of Spanish civilians by Napoleon’s soldiers
• The Descent from the Cross by Rogier van der Weyden

The Prado holds more than 8,000 paintings, though only about 1,300 are on display at any time. A guided visit helps focus attention on the highlights without feeling overwhelmed.

Caravan’s Spain and Portugal tour includes a guided visit to the Prado Museum during a two-night stay in Madrid.

Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor

Puerta del Sol is the symbolic center of Spain. A plaque on the sidewalk marks Kilómetro Cero, the point from which all distances in Spain are measured. The square is also where crowds gather on New Year’s Eve to eat twelve grapes at midnight, one for each stroke of the clock.

A short walk away, Plaza Mayor is a 17th-century arcaded square that once hosted bullfights, royal coronations and public executions. Today, it is lined with cafes and shops and serves as one of Madrid’s main gathering places.

The Royal Palace

The Palacio Real is the official residence of the Spanish monarchy, though the current royal family lives elsewhere. The palace contains more than 3,000 rooms, making it the largest functioning royal palace in Europe by floor area.

The interior includes throne rooms, a royal armory and a pharmacy that still holds centuries-old medicine jars. The changing of the guard ceremony, held on the first Wednesday of each month, draws large crowds.

Retiro Park

Retiro Park covers 300 acres in the center of Madrid. Once the private gardens of the Spanish monarchy, the park opened to the public in 1868. Visitors can rent rowboats on the main lake, walk through the Crystal Palace (a glass-and-iron exhibition hall built in 1887) or simply sit under the trees with a coffee.

Madrid’s Food and Nightlife

Madrid’s culinary identity centers on a few essentials:

• Cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig), a specialty of restaurants near Plaza Mayor
• Bocadillo de calamares (fried squid sandwich), sold at stands around the city and eaten standing up
• Churros con chocolate at Chocolatería San Ginés, open since 1894 and famous for thick hot chocolate served with freshly fried churros

The city’s nightlife is legendary. The La Latina and Malasaña neighborhoods fill with locals hopping between tapas bars on weekend evenings.

Madrid on a Guided Tour of Spain

On Caravan’s 14-day itinerary, Madrid comes after visits to the Alhambra in Granada and the medieval city of Toledo. From Madrid, the tour continues east through wine country to Valencia.