DK Travel : Madrid

Madrid’s three world-class art museums and two royal palaces alone would set the pulses racing, but there is more to this exciting and diverse capital than its tourist sights. The fashion boutiques of the Salamanca district showcase Europe’s top designers and are just the tip of a shopping iceberg, perfectly complementing the informality of the fascinating El Rastro market, while Madrid’s world-famous tapas bars vie for attention with gourmet restaurants and humble tabernas in a city which never sleeps. To simply watch the world go by, head for the supremely elegant Plaza Mayor.

Penedès

The Catalonian region has never looked back since Miguel Torres introduced Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes in the 1960s.
Piamonte

At Piamonte you can find handbags for any kind of special occasion, and have them made to order. There’s also a similarly striking range of scarves, belts and jewellery.
Pimientos

Peppers are usually served rellenos (stuffed with meat, cod or tuna) or de padron – grilled and salted.
platha mayor

here in this square is the most wonderful cheap experience in madrid. there are entertainers and stands/shops all around the square, you can get a cheap indian head massage. You can drop in to a chair on one of the bars and have a lovely sangria? Plus, you can sit in the baking heat until well after midnight!!!
Plaza Canovas del Castillo

This busy roundabout is named after Antonio Canovas del Castillo, one of the leading statesman of 19th-century Spain, who was assassinated in 1897. Dominating the plaza is the Fuente de Neptuno-a fountain with a statue depicting Neptune in his chariot, being pulled by two horses. The statue was designed in 1780 by Ventura Rodriguez as part of Carlos III' scheme to beautify eastern Madrid.
Plaza de Cibeles

One of Madrid’s busiest traffic intersections also boasts the city’s most famous landmark. The Fountain of Cybele, designed by Ventura Rodríguez, depicts the goddess of nature and abundance riding her chariot, hauled by a pair of prancing lions. (The water-spouting cherubs were added at the end of the 19th century.) The most striking architectural monument on the square is the wonderfully over-the-top Palacio de Comunicaciones (see Palacio de Comunicaciones). Opposite is the Neo-Baroque Palacio de Linares, one of the city’s finest 19th-century buildings, and now the Casa de América (see Casa de América). On the corner of Calle Recoletos, partly hidden from view by its steeply sloping gardens, is the former Palacio de Buenavista, commissioned in 1777 for the Duchess of Alba, a legendary beauty and one-time lover of artist Francisco de Goya. Today it is home to the General Army Barracks.
Plaza de Colón

This expansive square, named after Christopher Columbus, commemorates the discovery of the New World. The three monumental slabs near Calle de Serrano were designed by Joaquín Vaquero Turcíos to symbolize the three ships that made the voyage to America in 1492. In the centre of the square is a more conventional sculpture of Columbus, erected in the 19th century. Note a relief on the base which shows Queen Isabel of Castile selling her jewellery to finance his enterprise.
Plaza de España

A set piece of the Franco era, the huge square at the bottom of Gran Vía is dominated by Madrid’s first skyscrapers. The Edificio España (Gran Vía 86) was designed by the brothers Julien and Joaquín Otamendi in 1953. There are panoramic views of the city from the café on the top floor. Four years later, the same architects built the even taller Torre de Madrid (Plaza de España 5). The monument at the centre of the square commemorates Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote .
Plaza de la Lealtad

This leafy square honours the fallen heroes of the 1808 uprising against the French (see Insurrection). The ashes of the rebel leaders, immortalized in Goya’s famous painting (see Museo del Prado), were interred in the funerary urns beneath the obelisk when the project was finally completed in 1840. The beautifully proportioned Neo-Classical building occupying the north side of the square is the Madrid Stock Exchange, designed by Enrique María Repullés in 1884. Visitors may admire the Corinthian-columned façade at any time, but anyone wishing to see the trading floor from the gallery (parquet flooring, painted vaults, stained-glass ceiling and gilded clock) will have to join the guided tour at midday.
Plaza de la Villa

The much restored and frequently remodelled Plaza de la Villa is one of the most atmospheric spots in Madrid. Some of the city's most historic secular buildings are situated around this square. The oldest building is the early 15th-century Torre de los Lujanes, with its Gothic portal and Mudejar-style horse-shoe arches. Francois I of France was allegedly imprisoned in it following his defeat at the Battle of Pavia in 1525.