Visiting the city of Madrid provides one with the opportunity to experience some of the best historic and cultural attractions in Spain, and indeed in Europe. Visited by almost three million people annually, the Prado museum is an art gallery and museum which is home to an absolutely stunning collection of art. The building was created in the 18th century at the request of King Charles the 3rd who wanted to use it as a National History Cabinet, although the decision was later made to use the facility as for its current purpose. The building is expansive and the design incorporates a large number of windows and statues which provide it with a distinct and unmistakable appearance. It took a few decades after completion for the museum and gallery to be opened to the public, but once it was in 1817 it proved to be an instant hit and its popularity has continued to grow ever since. Some examples of artists who have work on display here are El Greco, who is one of the most important figures from the Renaissance era, Romanesque and Gothic artists Fernando Gallego and Jaime Serra, Italian artists Tintoretto and Boticelli and Dutch artists Vermeer and ...

One of the busiest and most popular areas in Madrid is the Puerta del Sol district, largely due to the fact that it was one of the gates to the city in historic Madrid. It was an area where people would meet and much trade and entertainment would take place here. Modern Puerta del Sol is similar in this respect as there are plenty of bars and restaurants to keep one entertained. If you choose a holiday apartment in the Puerta del Sol area don't miss some of these typical Spanish restaurants! Abaceria de la Villa Address: 83 Castello, Madrid Although this restaurant has a traditional small town feel to it, it produces high quality food and only uses the best and freshest produce from the local markets. The specialities at this restaurant include game and wild mushroom dishes as well as low fat alternatives. Zalacain Address: 4 Calle Álvarez de Baena, Madrid This has long been regarded as one of the best restaurants in Madrid. It is the perfect location for a romantic meal in the city centre as it pays attention to every detail of the service. This Michelin Star Madrid restaurant serves top class Spanish dishes which are hard to match for ...

The city of Madrid, which is the capital city of Spain, has plenty to offer the tourist in terms of history, culture, entertainment and dining. There are, however, plenty of areas around Madrid which are also attractive to the tourist which often tempt people away from the city for a while. These areas area close enough for the tourist to visit for the day before returning to their accommodation in Madrid. Below are some of the best options in this respect. Segovia This is somewhat of a fairytale destination situated just a short distance from Madrid. The Roman Aqueduct in the city is still in magnificent condition and allows you to relive history and walk amongst it as people have been doing for thousands of years. Aside from this other attractions include the Alcazar castle in all of its glory and the Museo de Arte Contempraneo Esteban Vicente. Toledo The winding streets, city walls and remarkable gates, the city of Toledo has retained all of the medieval wonder which earned it the status of Spain’s capital city until the status was passed to Madrid. Some of the things to do in Toledo include taking in the city walls, visiting the museums, getting to ...

If you want to escape the heat and noise of Barcelona, there is no better place to do it than Montjuic. This expansive ‘green’ belt’ is perched high above the city and despite hosting countless intimate parks and gardens, a handful of the city’s top attractions, and breathtaking city vistas at every turn, it is surprisingly under-used by locals. When the city’s beaches are packed to the hilt, head on up to Montjuic for some fresh, pine-scented air. On Montjuic’s uppermost peak is a formidable fortress-castle (best reached by cable-car from the port), which has the most panoramic views and is a great place to let kids run wild. The rest of Montjuic’s architecture stems from the two major events. The 1992 Olympic Games’ heritage is the ‘Olympic Ring’; the stadium (now mainly used for large-scale musical events), water-sports facilities and the Palau Sant Jordi a striking auditorium designed by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. At the Plaça Espanya end of Montjuic’s landward, the 1929 Universal Exhibition left a string of pretty pavilions, now the locations of some of the city’s best museums, including the National Museum of Catalonia, the Archaeology and Ethnographic Museums. Also here is the Poble Espanyol, ...

One of the biggest draws to Barcelona is its architecture. From stunning showpieces such as Jean Nouvel’s Torre Agbar to the robust beauty of the Gothic quarter, the architectural variety in Barcelona is quite remarkable. But if there were one singular style that could be termed truly ‘Barcelonese’ it would be modernisme. Most people may be aware of the modernisme through the fluid, almost organic works of Antoni Gaudí, the movement’s most famous exponent. But there are many more notable contemporaries of the great architect, and most of their work can be seen in the neighbourhood of the Eixample (or ‘Extension’) the 19th century, grid-like ‘new town’ that spans northward from Plaça Catalunya. And the best way to see it is on foot. Start your modernisme walk is the Passeig de Gràcia, a high-end shopping strip that is paved with hexagonal-shaped, grey-blue tiles designed Gaudí. Head to the cross street with C/ Aragó and you will be standing in front of the zenith of modernisme: the Manzana de Discòrdia (or ‘Block of Discord). These three buildings are all showstoppers: built for a chocolate baron, the Casa Amatller resembles a fairy-tale Flemish townhouse, whilst the Casa Lleó Morera (now occupied by ...

Back in 1970, a job was advertised for five girls to go and work in a bar in Ibiza, a place unheard of by me at the time. I was lucky enough to be selected for one of the positions. I thought I had landed in paradise, as it was just such a beautiful island. I made goods friends with one of the other girls and we decided that we would leave the Ibiza after five months and go and explore mainland Spain. We caught the ferry from Ibiza to Barcelona and then hitched a lift further up the coast, stopping at lots of small towns, each with their own distinct personalities (and each one with their own trademark fountain) ending up in Tossa del Mar. At this point we decided to go all the way back down the coast again, stopping once again at all the little towns and discovering more of the secret streets we missed the first time round. We met some really lovely people who were kind enough to stop and give us lifts. Every day was a sunny, happy day with lots of laughs and filled with the excitement of what was to come. ...

Antonio Gaudí is not someone I’ll forget easily. When I explored this wonderfully clean and vibrant city, I never knew quite where the artistic hand and unfettered genius of this remarkably gifted man would pop up. His architectural creations are, quite simply, unavoidable. Roaming around Las Ramblas, the city’s best-known landmark, inhaling the smell of tapas and paella, caught up in the strolling crowd, I stumbled across the Güell Palace. Designed by Gaudí for a rich industrialist and subdued by the architect’s standards, there is but a hint of what was to come from the pen of the great man. Pausing on the Passeig de Gràcia, my eye was deceived by Casa Batllo’s complete lack of edges and corners. At ground level, huge pillars resemble the feet of some giant elephant. The roof reminded me of the backbone of a gigantic dinosaur. Between the two, a number of small, elegantly curved balconies glue themselves to the front of the house like birds' nests on a cliff face. I was amazed at the colours and intricacy of the building; blues, golds and purples. Casa Mila – known as ‘The Quarry’ by Barcelonians – was even more astonishing. At least Gaudí acknowledged the straight ...

As I tentatively stepped off the plane onto the runway I was hit by a surge of warm air. It was the height of summer and at just 17 I was going it alone! Unaccompanied, I had booked up a 2 week break in Barcelona to experience the dazzling lights and sounds of this amazing city for the first time. With only the first night’s accommodation booked, a funky hostel just off Las Ramblas, I made the journey by train into the city centre, weighed down by the contents of my wardrobe. I crashed into my dorm to be greeted by a lively group of friends who'd already settled on their chosen beds. We quickly got chatting and made plans to go out for food that night. We settled on a beautiful floating restaurant by the marina. The night was warm and the wine flowing as we sat and enjoyed our surroundings. It was my first introduction to paella, which has since become a favourite, a traditional Spanish meal famous in the region of Catalonia. As we hit the main drag back into town around midnight we watched before our eyes as the city began to wake from its slumber. People gathered ...

With dozens of bike hire services and an increasing network of cycling lanes, seeing Barcelona by bike is becoming enormously popular, especially along the city’s waterfront. Barceloneta, the city’s salty, maritime neighbourhood is the best place to start off on your two wheels. (You could even hire them from Barceloneta Bikes, C/ Mestrança 49). With the Port Vell – the city’s main marina – on your right, head down Passeig del Borbón, Barceloneta’s main drag and home to dozens of famous fish restaurants, like