Visit the emblematic sites of the capital of Spain! The Gran Vía, the Plaza Mayor, the Puerta de Sol, the Royal Palace, the Retiro park and much more! GUIDED TOUR WITH PROFESSIONAL GUIDE!
We're going to Madrid!
We will leave Valencia early in the morning to make the most of the day and we will come back the same day later in the evening.
Plan of the day:
-Departure from Valencia
-Guided tour with the professional guide
-End of the guided tour, free time
-Departure to Valencia
We will visit of the historical centre of Madrid and we will see all of the most symbolic places and will be told the history of the city, we will see: la Gran Vía, la Plaza Mayor, la Puerta de Sol, el Palacio Real…
We will also visit the Retiro Park with its famous pond and Crystal Palace.
We will have the opportunity to visit the famous museums that form part of the triangle of culture in the centre of Madrid: Museo Thyssen, Museo de Prado y Museo Reina Sofía, which are all famous worldwide and are the motive for many people who come to visit the capital...
Why visit Madrid?
-Madrid is home to the Spanish royal family, parliament and the government.
- Madrid is not only the capital of Spain but also the biggest city in the country. Madrid is well located along the banks of the Manzanares River which runs through the centre of the country. The city is also the greenest in Europe thanks to its numerous parks.
- Madrid got its name from the Arabic 'magerit' which means "place of many rivers".
- The official symbol for Madrid is a bird that is perching trying to rach the fruits of a strawberry tree. According to the legend, where the capital is located many strawberry trees would grow.
- Which football club was the most successful in the 20th century? According to FIFA, it's without doubt, Real Madrid. The home stadium of Real Madrid is the famous Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Chamartín, in the north of Madrid. With the capacity for 85,000 spectators you don't have to worry about getting a seat. When there are no games being shown, you can visit the stadium, and even go into the changing rooms and the VIP areas.
- Another interesting fact is that the building ofr the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía which was decades ago a huge part of the new movement, has been considered the ugliest building in Spain. This museum shows the works of the most significant Spanish painters of the 20th century, including the well known work of art 'Guernica' by Pablo Picasso.
Tapas - the national dish of Spain! How did it come about?
Madrid Tapas - you can't leave without trying the national dish of Spain - a true delicacy. There are many stories and myths related to tapas, which lead us back to the thirteenth century. The carriage drivers and postmen would stop in taverns to relax and after long and dangerous journeys. They would pass the time drinking wine and as a result would get extremely drunk therefore threatening the safetey of their passengers. So the government imposed a law which stated that all 'driver' had to eat something. The most simple snack was generally 'una tapa' a slice of bread with ham, which they would put on a plate on top of a glass of wine so the plate covered the contents of the glass. The word to cover in Spanish is 'tapaba' and this is where the word comes from. Nowadays tapas has become a tasty tradition that can be enjoyed throughout Spain. Tapas is not only a sandwich, over time it came to mean a variety of appertifs which are served with wine or any other drink: marinated anchovies, meat and fish, empanadas, potato tortilla and many more.
