Madrid Travel Guides

Located on the river Manzanares, Madrid is the capital of Spain and one of the largest cities in Europe; It trails only Paris, London and Berlin (the Ruhr area) as the most populous urban area in the European Union. The population of the city is roughly 3.2 million, as of December 2005, while the estimated urban area population is 5.1 million.
The community of Madrid, including its surrounding suburbs and villages, is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile-La Mancha. Madrid is the political center of Spain as both the seat of government and the residence of the Spanish monarch. In addition, Madrid is the largest financial center on the Iberian Peninsula and serves as the headquarters of not only the majority of Spanish companies, but also three of the world’s 100 largest companies: Telefonica, Repsol-YPF, Banco Santander.
While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighborhoods and streets. The city’s most popular landmarks and tourist destinations include the Royal Palace of Madrid, the Royal Theater (with its restored 1850 Opera House), the Buen Retiro Park, the National Library and a number of archaeological and art museums. The Prado Museum hosts one of the finest art collections in the world while the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia focuses on modern art. The third museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.