Madrid Spain » Madrid Attractions

Shopping in Madrid

admin — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 12:02:35 +0000

Calle Preciados, Calle Carmen, and Gran Via are the three most important shopping streets of Madrid. Calle Carretas is famous for its cheap fashion shops.

It’s not a secret that clothes and shoes are a bit cheaper in Madrid as in other European cities. But of course there are also many other fancy and expensive shops in Spains capital, which makes the shopping tour to an unforgetable adventure.

Second hand clothes can be found every Sunday at Madrids biggest flea market called “Rastro”.

Books, records, and cd’s about the Spanish national dance “Flamenco” can be found in the Flamenco shop “El Flamenco Vive”, which is located in Conde de Lemos 7. A big book and music shop exists in Preciados 28 (Metro 3 and 5: Callao).

Chocolate and candy lovers will find their favourite shops in Orellana 4 and Carrera San Jeronimo 30.

Solid food like ham and sausges can be found in the little butchers shop “Gondiaz”. Gondiaz has the reputation of having Spains best ham. The shop is located close to the kings palace on the “Plaza de la Marina Espanola 7″.

Family tradition since 1895 is still alive in the wine store of Mariano Madrueno. The wine paradise of Spains capital is located in Postigo de San Martin 3.

If you are dreaming to buy some special olive oils in Madrid, you should go to the metro station Alonso Martinez, and look out for the shop “Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero” in Mejia Lequerica 1. This shop offers more than 150 different types of olive oils.

Art galleries are at home in the districts of Huertas and Lavapies. Usually close to museums. In Lavapies the most important gallery shopping street is the “Calle Doctor Fourquet”. “Calle San Pedro” is the place to be in Huertas.

Madrids biggest shopping mall is “El Corte Ingles” in Sol district. The supply is just overwhelming.

There are also a lot of art handicraft shops and jewellers. The most important ones can be found in Madrids centre, the Sol district.

Plaza de Castilla Madrid

admin — Sun, 10 Oct 2004 10:50:50 +0000

The square “Plaza de Castilla” is located in the north of the city, and expresses Madrids feeling as a big metropolis. Two US-american architects have created a modern city gate during the 90′s, which should symbolize the importance of Madrid as a gate of Europe.

The impressive art piece consists of two askew apartment towers which lean towards to each other in 15 grade. They are made of steel and aluminium, and covered by black glass. Their height amounts 107 metres, and there are 27 floors.

Metro 1, 9, and 10: Plaza Castilla

Estacion de Atocha Madrid

admin — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 10:57:37 +0000

Estacion de Atocha is the name of the sensational railway station in the west of the Lavapies district. From outside the building looks like a usual railway station, but if you are going to take a look inside you won’t believe your eyes. The former railway station is now a giant tropical greenhouse.

In 1992 the Spanish government decided to build a new railway station for the railway connection to Sevilla. The old building turned needless, but someone had the glorious idea to make a tropical greenhouse out of it. So it was possible to realize this fantastic plan, and save the historical building from demolition. The new railway station was built directly behind the old one.

There is also a restaurant inside the greenhouse, which offers a very unique atmosphere. The name of the restaurant is “Samarkand”. The cosy gourmet temple is located in the Northern part of the former railwaystation, on an heightened terrace.

Metro 1: Atocha Renfe

Rastro Madrid Flea Market

admin — Fri, 08 Oct 2004 06:15:28 +0000

Rastro is the name of Madrids flea market in the west of the district called “Lavapies”. Rastro is quite a big flea market, and probably the biggest and most famous in the whole city.

With patience and a little bit of luck, it’s possible to find wonderful and precious antiquities. Rastro can be visited every Sunday, and found around Calle Embajadores and Plaza Cascorro.

The area around the Rastro is known to have a high percentage of immigrants and members of the alternative society.