A2Z Spain Is please to offer the following search results for the Province of Madrid while we compile our complete database.
The Autonomous community of Madrid lies in the centre of Spain and is home to the capital city. It is the political and economic centre and has a population of about 5.8 million. The government has its seat here as does the Spanish monarchy. It is believed that the city was founded on the banks of the Manzanares river by the Romans in the 2nd century AD. Its name is derived from the Arabic Matrit meaning mother or source, from the Islamic conquest in the 7 th century. Originally, it was called Matrice.
It has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with cold winters and hot summers and most rainfall is in Spring and Autumn.
Madrid is a city rich in history with numerous monuments and cultural attractions. La Palacio Real is open to the Public providing there are no official events. The Prado museum is home to some of the greatest art collections and is considered one of the most important art museums in the world. The Teatro Royal, the Buen Retiro Park and the Plaza Mayor are some other sites not to be missed.
Madrid has a hectic nightlife which is an integral part of Spanish life. Bear in mind that most restaurants open at eight or nine in the evening and the bars and clubs tend to stay open until the early hours of the morning. Paseo de la Castellana, Paseo de Recoleteos and Paseo de Prado are well known areas for restaurants and bars . The districts of Arguelles and Moncloa are popular with students and generally tend to attract a younger crowd. During the summer months Madrid has many open-air terraces, some of the better known areas for these are the Parque del Oeste and Paseo del Castellano.
Some of the major fiestas are Carnival, marking the beginning of Lent, San Antonio in June and August is when many of the different Barrios or districts have their own traditional fiestas. San Isidro is the Patron Saint of Madridand the celebrations begin on 15 th May and last for a month. One of the many traditions is the Romería, a trip to the saint's meadow where pilgrims drink the miraculous water from the fountain at the hermitage. During this time of the year there are many open-air concerts, dancing in the plazas and there are also many sporting events, the most famous being bull-fighting.
Other towns in Madrid worth visiting are: Alcalá de Henares. Coslada, Torrejón de Ardoz, Móstoles, San Lorenzo and Aranjuez.
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