“I am leaving Madrid” sings the Columbian Singer Shakira. The video below has a bullfighting theme to it. The Spanish “El Juli” sued Shakira for $5 million for using scenes of one of his performances without his permission.
As a visitor to Spain, it is sometimes difficult to understand how even in modern times, that bullfighting holds such a strong position in Spanish culture. A guided tour to the Las Ventas bullring might help to give you an appreciation, whether you are for or against the tradition.
Our reason to visit Madrid in this post is that the tree-lined Paseo del Prado and the Retiro Park in the city have been added to the UNESCO list of heritage sites in recognition of the key roles both had played in the city’s history.
Paseo del Prado is a densely tree-lined avenue and the location of many important cultural and tourist spots int the city. It includes what is known as the “Golden Triangle of Art”, which encompasses three museums: The Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum.
The Prado museum is home to Diego Velazquez’s Las Meninas and Francisco de Goya’s La maja vestida and La maja desnuda.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza houses eight centuries of European painting. The Reing Sofa Museum houses a collection of 20th century art including Pablo Picasso’s Guernica.
In the area you will also find the National Congress Building and the city’s Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Madrid). The Paseo del Prado includes several monuments and other notable buildings that if you were extremely time restricted on your visit to Madrid you could do worse than spend it along the Paseo de Prado.
The Retiro Park comprises of 125 hectares of gardens, including 15,000 trees and numerous monuments. The park is home to a large artificial lake, where those of you with a nautical bent can rent a rowing boat, and notably to the Velazquez Palance and the Glass Palace which currently are used to exhibit works from the Reina Sofia Museum. The Glass Palace was built in in 1887 to house exotic plants for an exhibition on the Philippines. It is one the finest examples of cast-iron architecture in Spain.
Take a view from the towers or Bruges and Ghent
For you cultural visit to Madrid contact Maggie.
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