Madrid

Although it is the capital of Spain only since 1561, Madrid is a metropolis whose size and monumentality truly express the power and pride of what once was the heart of one of the largest empires in history. At the same time, the city fully embodies the composite and multifarious culture Spain has developed in more than two thousand years, from the Roman Empire to the Muslim age, from the Spanish Golden Age to Modernity.
Three of Madrid’s most important museums – the Prado Museum, the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum, and the Reina Sofia Art Center – are close to one another in the so-called Triángulo del Arte or Triángulo de Oro area (Golden Triangle of Art in English). Overall, many of the most popular museums of Madrid are located in the city center; which is quite convenient for the visitor, since the Spanish capital’s urban area is the second largest in Europe and its climate can be really sweltering in summer, despite the city altitude of about 700 meters / 2,300 feet above the sea level.