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What began as a private collection is now a superb public museum of some of the best European art from the past 700 years (see Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza).

The setting for this outstanding collection is the Palacio de Villa-hermosa, remodelled in the 1990s. Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, widow of the preceding baron, was responsible for the salmon-pink colour scheme inside. The museum covers international art from the 19th century onwards (see Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza).

Madrid was the envy of the world when it outbid the Getty Foundation and other front runners for this priceless collection of European art, which attracts around three quarters of a million visitors every year (see Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza).

If you’ve just left off visiting one of Madrid’s top museums and forgotten to call in at the shop, here is your second chance. Everything from umbrellas to jewellery.

At 1,860 m (6,100 ft) Navacerrada is the gateway to the Sierra de Guadarrama. Ski enthusiasts head straight for the Navacerrada Pass (Puerto de Navacerrada), but the town itself should not be overlooked. Apart from the parish church, which has an impressive 15th-century tower, and the 16th-century Church of the Nativity, the craft shops are worth a browse. Cafés abound on Plaza Mayor and there are hiking and cycling trails in the surrounding forests.

Navarra’s palatable reds and rosés do not lag far behind those of neighbouring La Rioja, and prices are competitive.

Each neighbourhood (barrio ) organizes its own celebrations to mark local red-letter days. These range from the blessing of pets in the church of San Antón, Calle Hortaleza (17 January) to Chinese New Year in Lavapiés (end of January, early February).

In 1561 Felipe II took the decision to make Madrid his new capital (previously Valladolid had been preferred). The central location and proximity to other royal residences were determining factors. Madrid was still a small, squalid town of 9,000 inhabitants – one of the king’s first decisions was to transform the old marketplace outside the walls into a public square, now Plaza Mayor.

To be among the crowds on the Puerta del Sol on the most exciting night of the year is an unforgettable experience. On the stroke of midnight join the revellers in observing the custom of swallowing grapes, one after each chime. Bags of grapes and bottles of sparkling wine are sold from stalls nearby.

Before its conversion, this imposing pile housed the Lebanese embassy. The decor is suitably aristocratic, with plenty of marble and wrought iron. The rooms are tastefully furnished (all are equipped with cable TV), while the facilities include a sauna, gym and terrace restaurant.