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General Info

Madrid is the capital of Spain and the largest city in the Iberian peninsula. It is also the third most populous city in the European Union after London and Berlin. It is located on the river Manzanares in the center of the country. Due to its economic output, standard of living, and market size, Madrid is considered one of the major financial centers of the Iberian Peninsula, together with Barcelona and Lisbon. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political center of Spain. Madrid is a city of great cultural and political importance. While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighborhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the huge Royal Palace of Madrid; a restored 1850 opera house; the Buen Retiro park, opened in 1631; the imposing 19th-century building containing the Spanish National Library (founded 1712); the national archives; an archaeological museum of international reputation; and three superb art museums: Prado Museum, which houses one of the finest art collections in the world, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housed in the renovated Villahermosa Palace.

• Mayor of Madrid: http://www.munimadrid.es/

Main Sights

To see in Madrid: Plaza Mayor: the historical main square of Madrid, was the scene of bullfights and public executions in past centuries. Today, it is the heart of the 'tourist district'. Palacio Real: built in 1738 to replace the old Madrid Alcazar, this palace is decorated in rococo splendour. A highlight event here is the changing of the guard held on the first Wednesday of the month at noontime. Parque del Buen Ritiro: the wonderful garden of El Retiro, littered with marble monuments, landscaped lawns and abundant greenery, it's quiet and contemplative during the week, but is transformed on weekends. The artificial lake at the park's centre is watched over by Alfonso XII's massive mausoleum and the sphinx-laden Egyptian Fountain. The park has a particularly beautiful rose garden, La Rosaleda. Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial: take an excursion to this great Royal Monastery, which served as the administrative capital of Spain for much of the 16th and 17th Centuries. The dream of King Phillip II was to glorify the Catholic Church with a great empire on which the sun never set, and it was here that he plotted its growth and administration.

• Palacio Real: http://www.patrimonionacional.es/

Museums

Endowed by the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and composed by 3 museums, Madrid is considered one of the top European destinations concerning art museums. The three most important art museums are: Prado Museum: Madrid's resounding answer to the Louvre of Paris and the Uffizi of Florence, this is one of the major art museums of the world, with a collection featuring some of the finest works by celebrated Spanish artists such as Velazquez, El Greco and Goya (including highlights such as Diego Velázquez's Las Meninas and Francisco de Goya's La Maja Vestida and La Maja Desnuda) Thyssen Bornemisza Museum: Collection Thyssen-Bornemisza: the result of a major sale by Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, one of the world's most celebrated private collectors, this collection gave Madrid a much needed boost of artworks from 20th Century majors such as Picasso, Pollock, Kirchner, Rauschenberg and Kandinsky, as well as classic by Rembrandt and Durer. Once at home in Switzerland, it is now housed in the Villahermosa Palace, right next to the Prado. Reina Sofia Museum: Modern art museum where Pablo Picasso's Guernica hangs since being returned to Spain from New York more than two decades ago.

• Thyssen Bornemisza Museum: http://www.museothyssen.org/
• Reina Sofia Museum: http://www.museoreinasofia.es/
• Prado Museum: http://museoprado.mcu.es/

Transports

Madrid is served by Barajas International Airport. Barajas is in the top 20 busiest airports in the world. Serving the city's population of some six million, the Madrid Metro is one of the most extensive and fastest-growing metro networks in the world. With the addition of a loop serving suburbs to Madrid's south-west "Metrosur", it is now the second largest metro system in Western Europe, second only to London's Underground. The province of Madrid is also served by an extensive commuter rail network called Cercanías.

• Barajas Airport: http://www.aena.es/madrid-barajas
• Metro Madrid: http://www.metromadrid.es/

Business

IFEMA, Madrid's Fair opened its doors in 1980 and has secured its position as a symbol of Madrid's business scene and an exponent of the economic vigour boasted by Spain and the Region alike. The site features 150,000 square metres of covered exhibition area spread over ten exhibition halls, as well as the plethora of spaces and facilities that is needed for conducting exhibition activities in an optimal way: a singular office complex that includes a fully equipped meeting area and an auditorium for 600 persons; 14,000 parking places; numerous and diversified catering services; extensive entryways and inner and outer roadways; logistic and technical facilities; financial organisations and service providers as well as a spectacular, 10,000-square-metre convention centre located over the new North Entrance.

• Madrid Fair: http://www.ifema.es/