Both Madrid and Barcelona are beautiful Spanish cities boasting plenty of sights, so how do you choose between the two?
During a recent trip to Madrid that saw me delicately maneuvering shiny new hybrid cars into and out of the crowded capital, I overheard a conversation between a fellow journalist and two Spanish natives, one a Madridista who calls the capital city home, the other hailing from Barcelona. The journalist, who was making his first trip to Spain, was jokingly trying to pit the two against each other to figure out which city is better. The answer, of course, is that both are fabulous cities worthy of a long weekend visit. But we lay out which city has the best outdoor public space, most delicious food and passionate sports culture, the coolest art museums, and more! And if you still can’t decide, here are our recommendations for the best things to do in Madrid and Barcelona.