Not only does Madrid have several appealing attractions, a wonderful environment, and a cultural population, but it is also one of Spain’s most popular destinations. This could be because of the large quantity, and quality, of their cultural attractions. Galleries, museums, and study centers just to name a few.
Madrid has some of the top art museums in the country, such as the Golden Triangle of Art that also contains three entire museums. The Museo del Prado contains the worlds largest collection of paintings dated back from the 12th century to the early 19th century. This is Madrid’s most popular museum.
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Madrid is a city of diverse environment. The city has parks, lakes, buildings and grass just like any other. However, the features of which may set Madrid apart from the rest.
The largest and most popular park of Madrid is called Parque del Retiro, which was once the grounds of a palace built by Felipe IV.
To amuse royalty, so sets a lake in the middle was used for mock naval battles. Madrid’s most central railway station houses a 4,000 square metered indoor garden filled with tropical plants, and more than 500 species. 1,500 animals are contained in eight ecosystems, all of which are part of an ecological theme park called Fauna. These are just to briefly name a few attractions. Convention goers have a wide range of attractions to chose from while spending time in Madrid.
The minimum drinking age for consuming alcohol in Spain is sixteen, although if you are accompanied by a parent you can purchase and consume alcohol at an even younger age. The legal blood alcohol content is 0.05 and in some cases 0.03, while it is still ill advised to drive, while drinking.
In addition, the legal sexual age limit is only thirteen years old. In contrast to this, deceiving someone into having sex or any other form of seduction is illegal if the person is under the age of 16, and it is illegal to pay anyone below the age of 18 for sex.
While Madrid is a hugely popular tourist spot, there are many hotels and other such types of accommodation to benefit from. The places to stay in Madrid range from hotels, to apart-hotels, youth hostels, other hostels, and apartments.
Hostels and hostels are probably the cheapest. A youth hostel can cost around 15 Euros a night for a bed, and the opportunity to meet other travelers. In contrast, a hostel is accompanied by a bed and a bathroom, but still cheaper than a hotel. With a rating of 5 stars, the hotel Hesperia is probably the finest, with only two minutes of walking time to the metro
Many popular artists visit Madrid, as lifestyle is fun. Concerts, fiestas, and other such events are very common and somewhat traditional. Artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, and R.E.M. have visited, and will visit the city again. There are dozens of fiesta each month at this point and sometimes the entire town will be involved. The lively atmosphere of the city makes it a great choice to hold a convention.
The city council generally organizes these lively events, and most of the time they are free to attend. In the summer, concerts and fiestas are held out doors or in open-air buildings and contain highlights such as dancing and photography. You can find all the dates listed in “En Madrid,” a tourist hand out.
In Spain, Madrid specifically, the Euro is used as the national currency since 1999, although they were not officially circulated until 2002. Coined Euro’s come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 euro cents, while notes come in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500.
The format of their money is unlike America, in that thousand can come before a point (3.450 = Three thousand, four hundred and fifty) and decimals come after a comma (85,12 = Eighty five Euros and twelve cents.) You can exchange currencies at the airports, or banks but credit cards are widely used and there are many ATM’s. Unfortunately, travelers checks are uncommonly cashed. As for taxes on items, you can pay anywhere from 7-16%.
Bull fighting is a very common activity in Madrid and in all of Spain. During fiestas and all different kinds of other celebrations, you can often find bull fighting going on for days. Especially in Madrid, the popularity of bull fighting is progressively more enjoyable. This is particularly a great activity to relax after a convention.
During the San Isidro festival, bull fighting occurs every Sunday from the middle of May all the way until October. The most important bull fighting arena, one of the two there in Madrid, holds 20,000 people. The greater part of the bull fighting happens here. Some of the best fighters come to town for Madrid’s’ feast days, where fighting goes on daily.
The people of Spain, unlike America, work so that they can live. In America, it is more and more likely to see someone who is living to work. There is a big difference between the two. Work is not something that comes before everything. Things such as family and friends are considered worth more than the value of a job.
Employers in Spain realize that such things come first, instead of penalizing the employee for missing a day for a family emergency. Although Spaniards work long hours with short lunch breaks, while at work they still socialize with their coworkers and liven up the environment. They are not socially defined by the type of work that they do.
The water in Madrid is not the same as in other parts of the world. Many travelers choose to buy and drink their own bottled water, as they believe it is safer. Luckily, the drinking water in many parts of Madrid is very acceptable, and in some cases exceptional and very refreshing. This is something to take into consideration when planning a convention.
In the city of Granada, the drinking water is from the snow capped mountains and is not only refreshing, but also untouched by the pollution from the cities. However, while traveling in remote areas it is best to just drink bottled water, as there could be pollutants in it.
Another type of accommodation in Madrid is the self catering apartments. This is a cheaper option, as self catering means that food is not provided. However, cooking facilities are provided. Self Catering is ideal for low budget travelers, students, vacationers, or youth.
Self catering apartments or hotels can cost around seventy five Euros a day, or at least 450 Euros a week. They will come with everything you need except for room service or other unnecessary luxuries. You can at often times find a family renting out a space, or find many self catering apartments near the Barajas airport in Madrid.
