Give me your WOW spots, buildings, paintings, sculptures, meals, people , I don't want to miss any

Guernica....stunning, and it instilled a real sense of loss ! Also a big wow for the spanish boys .

I'm topping this thread because I have the same question. And please don't say . . . check out madridman.com. My browser doesn't support the site and it freezes my computer.

Nightime in the Plaza Mayor, with the buildings lit an musicians in the courtyard. The Madrid bullring. Goya's Saturn Devouring His Son. Jamon Serrano. Guernica to be sure, made all the more interesting by the display of Picasso's studies (some before and some made after the main painting). The porcelain room (walls & ceiling), frescos and tapestries in the Royal Palace. Gambas al Ajillo (garlic shrimp), with good bread to dip in the oil. Too many other great things to mention.

A paseo on the Castellana on a warm evening. The camelias in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Goya's Dark Paintings at the Prado. The Sorolla Museum. Pollo asado and cider at Casa Mingo. Cafe Gijon. Churros con chocolate.

The fact that the Spaniards smoke like chimneys....everywhere and at all times.. the po-faced receptionists at my hotel....

The Museo del Jamon was good for a momentary jaw-dropping.

I really enjoyed the Prado what a place. Also got a kick out of seeing a Flamenco show in a small local joint that was full of locals.

In no real order:<BR>*The Goyas and grecos at the prado<BR>*all of "Hapsburg Madrid"<BR>*Spanish ladies<BR>*squid sandwiches<BR>*cocido<BR>*El rastro<BR>*El Reina Sofia<BR>*bars in the plaza Santa Ana<BR>*La puerta del sol<BR>*La plaza de Espana<BR>*jamon, lomo and chorizo<BR>*bullfights<BR>*bookstalls (close to the Prado, don't remember street)<BR>*military museum<BR><BR>and more. great city, although I prefer the smaller towns and countryside in Spain.<BR><BR>PS Museo del jamon has good ham, but I don't understand what is jaw-dropping about it?

Well, first of all I was expecting a museum. Second, I think it was the first time I'd seen, what, 4,000 hams hanging from the ceiling. That's not all that normal in the DC area.

Here's my list of Madrid favorites, also in no particular order:<BR><BR>La Cibeles fountain in front of the magnificent Correo building<BR><BR>Plaza Mayor and its little mesones<BR><BR>The nightlife: people staggering out of bars and clubs at 7:00 AM<BR><BR>El Corte Ingles department stores<BR><BR>Jamon serrano (and Jabugo. WOW!), gambas a la plancha, boquerones en vinagre, tortilla espanola, pimientos de padron, paella, cocido a la madrilena...the list of amazing Spanish tapas and cuisine goes on forever!<BR><BR>The fact that people are always so well-dressed when clothes are so expensive there<BR><BR>The fact that main streets and sidewalks are washed -- yes, washed and scrubbed-- on a nightly basis.<BR><BR>A glass of horchata or sangria on a hot August day while people-watching, sitting in a sidewalk cafe<BR><BR>El Retiro park (Madrid's version of Central Park)<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>New Year's eve in Puerta del Sol<BR><BR>The hand-painted megasized movie posters in Gran Via theatres<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

I guess other people have a much lower wow threshold than I. I found Madrid a fairly uninteresting place. Restaurants are OK, but Spaniards are not big foodies. No fine wines, beer, etc.<BR><BR>Looking at a bunch of pictures hanging on wall in some sterile, characterless building like the Prado doesn't do it for me. The Royal Palace is OK, if you haven't been around much. It's small stuff compared to what you see elsewhere in Europe. <BR><BR>Madrid has no natural scenic sites, hills or vistas. The architecture is nothing extraordinary. You want wow architecture, go to Barcelona. You want wow cathedrals, go to Toldeo, Madrid, Cordoba and Granada. Wow castles? Segovia. You'll find none of these in Madrid.<BR><BR>There's lots of good stuff to see and do in Spain. But none of it is in Madrid<BR><BR>

I liked the view from the top of the 300-foot-high observation tower, the Faro de Madrid. It was a beautiful sunny day in late September and I could see for miles. I was happy with the pop machine that dispensed cans of beer at the base of the tower. It was a warm walk to get there. <BR><BR>Bosch's "Garden of Delights" at the Prado. Painted around 1500. The detail and imagery is unbelievable for the time he painted. It's more like surrealism than traditional paintings of the time. There aren't many Bosches left and I believe the Prado has most of them.<BR><BR>I was really awed by the reliquary room in the Royal Palace. It was floor to ceiling, wall to wall reliquaries in a very large room. You usually only find a reliquary or two in churches. I find it fascinating that people used to collect these bits of bone, put gold filigree on them and put them in fancy boxes. It seems so gruesome, especillay when the piece of bone is large enough to identify.<BR><BR>I enjoyed seeing an opera (Orpheus) at the Royal Theater. The orchestra was laid out differently than any opera I've seen in Europe or the US. There was a heavy emphasis on guitar-type instruments that just isn't done in other venues. I showed up an hour before the opera and bought great tickets that had not been picked up.

x: I agree. Madrid left me cold - couldn't find much of anything outside the Prado (which is an amazing museum) to excite me. Thought it was a very boring city with lots of crime (witnessed two thefts in broad daylight) and a really horrid tendency to be incredibly loud late at night. I also hated not being able to have dinner until 11 p.m. or start sightseeing until after 10 in the morning - my biorythms and Madrid did NOT coincide! It's not a city for the over-30.

Yep Loved Madrid, loved the culture and loved the nightlife, it was a city that suited my needs of getting out of bed after breakfast time. It really suited me because spanish breakfast of a cup of milky coffee and a sugar cake didn't do it for me !<BR>Gotta see the Prado....linger !

One thing about Madrid is that it does not have the feel of a large capital city. More like a large town with a few sky scrapers dotted here and there. This makes for a more relaxed laid back pace of life. Friendlyness wise the Spanish are OK....but they do have a bit of a chip on their shoulders.

Favorite part of Madrid was a daytrip we took outside the city. We hired a driver for the day who picked us up at our hotel and took us to see Spain's version of Versaille (can not for the life of me remember the name) and Segovia. Was a great daytrip and with the driver we learned more and were able to cover more ground without being exhausted.

I think that "Spain's version of Versailles" that Tom is referring to is El Escorial, the monestary/palace built by Felipe II. It's not really much like Versailles, though, and is fairly austere and much more imposing. Agree it is defintely a highlight. Segovia and Toledo are also good day trips. El valle de los caidos is a polarizing insight into the Spanish civil war and its legacy. It's also a good object lesson in how dictators make lousy architects. A lot of people avoid it, but I also think it is worth a trip.<BR><BR>As for Madrid itself, I somewhat agree with x. Neither natural scenery nor architecture is generally all that impressive. On the other hand, I disagree that Spaniards are not "foodies." Spanish cooking is truly phenomenal (especially Basque and Galician) and their wines are spectacular (try a Rioja reserva from 94 or 95. Also Ribera del Duero is a great region). To my mind, it's the best European cuisine, bar none. And, you have to love a country where lunch is taken so seriously that everything closes for two hours and a nap is customary to top it off.<BR><BR>In Madrid itself, I would defintely hit el rastro in addition to the standard museums, sites, etc. <BR><BR><BR><BR>

I loved Madrid, but would like to suggest you head out to the Escorial (probably what the other poster meant by Spanish Versaille) and to the Valley of Los Caidos. That latter was a "wow" that stayed with me for decades -- it's a basilica built into the side of a mountain to honor both sides of the Civil War (Spanish, that is) and set in a marvellous as-yet undeveloped hilly area with a commanding view. It's an unforgettable sight, and do-able in half a day but....<BR><BR>WARNING: be aware that if you take any of the bus-coach organized tours from your hotel you will be rushed through the sights and herded into tourist gimcrack stores -- this is ESPECIALLY true if the tour includes Toledo. I liked Toledo, too, but I would try to find a way to get out to Escorial and Los Caidos (and Toledo) OTHER than with a commercial tour group. It is doable.

I believe the "Spanish Versailles" is the Palace of Aranjuez.