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madrid

Prado Museum, the Window the Spanish Soul

Prado Museum, the Window the Spanish Soul

Being in awe when visiting Prado Museum is considered an understatement. Don't take out word for it, go see it yourself! With more than 7,000 paintings in their collections. What was once a grand palace now turned museum, it is a must see when visiting if you ever make your way to Madrid. And how can you not when the city itself is already filled with so much culture and beautiful art in itself. So what are you waiting for? Download the Prado Museum Travel Guide and Offline Map now!

1.     History

The neoclassical Palacio de Villanueva was completed in 1785 and what is now the museum's Western Wing. It was originally born as a house of science and later became a barracks for Napoleon's cavalry troops. The building itself is already beaming with history. In 1814, King Fernando VII decided to use the palace as a museum. Five years later the Museo del Prado opened with 311 Spanish paintings on display.

Visit Prado Museum with eTips Travel Guide

2.      Goya

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes is a staple name in the Prado Museum. His work can be found on all three floors of the Prado. In Room 65, Goya’s El dos de mayo and El tres de mayo rank among Madrid’s most emblematic paintings as they bring to life the 1808 anti-French revolt and subsequent execution of insurgents in Madrid. Alongside, in Rooms 67 and 68, are some of his darkest and most disturbing works, Las pinturas negras with their dark browns and black and distorted animalesque appearance of their characters.

3.     Velázquez

Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velázquez is another of the grand masters of Spanish art who brings so much distinction to the Prado. Of all his works, Las meninas (Room 12) is what most people come to see. Completed in 1656, it is more properly known as La família de Felipe IV (The Family of Felipe IV). The rooms surrounding Las meninas contain more fine works by Velázquez with his paintings of various members of royalty--Felipe II, Felipe IV, Margarita de Austria, El Príncipe Baltasar Carlos and Isabel de Francia on horseback.

Meninas, Velazquez. Prado Museum Guide

Learn more about other destinations that offer unique experiences by checking out eTips.

The Quick and Dirty Guide to Madrid’s Nightlife

The Quick and Dirty Guide to Madrid’s Nightlife

Famed American novelist and hardcore barfly Ernest Hemingway once said: Nobody goes to bed in Madrid until they have killed the night.And who could argue with the wisdom of a man who has lived his life on the bar stools of Madrid?

Since Hemingway’s time, Madrid has kept its spot as one of Europe’s best places to party. The city’s nightlife -as anyone who has survived it will tell you - is the stuff of legends.

No one in Madrid makes only one plan for the night. Madrileños enjoy socializing and would often make at least three plans on how they’ll spend their evening before hitting the city.

An app like Madrid Travel Guide and Offline City Map which has alerts for the latest events as well as an offline map, can help you decide your route to cover more of the scene.

Before the debauchery – eat.

To survive Madrid’s nightlife, there are only two things you have to remember – it starts late and it goes on all night.

You need your stamina, so make sure to fill up your tank with local favorites such as oreja a la plancha, seared pig’s ear for starters, followed by a healthy serving of huevos rotos which is typically served with bread, fried potatoes, chorizo, and topped off with an over-easy egg, and rounded off with a classic, callos with slices of morcilla.

Try Callos a la madrileña a delightful Madrid tapa
Try Callos a la madrileña a delightful Madrid tapa

In a city where there is one bar for every 192 people, there will be no craving left unsatisfied in Madrid’s gastro scene.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Once you’ve had dinner, choose from which of Madrid’s three distinct nightlife scenes you’d like to start your night in.

Chueca is considered as Madrid’s gay district. Majority of the bars here cater to the gay community. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the nightlife here if you’re not waving the rainbow flag. There’s also a good selection of restaurants, cafes, and art galleries around Plaza de Chueca and Mercado de San Antón to choose from.

Calle Huertas is for those that want a taste of the city’s more traditional nightlife. Music lovers will enjoy the district’s wide assortment of jazz clubs, theater cafes, and bars that offer flamenco music located around Plaza del Ángel, Café Central, and Calle Echegaray.

Malasaña is the center of Madrid’s hipster culture. The neighborhood is filled with shops and boutiques that cater to the city’s younger generation. Because of its selection of quirky-themed bars and restaurants that draw in the eclectic crowd, it has been likened to similar communities like the East Village.

Madrid nightlife with eTips Travel Guides
Madrid nightlife with eTips Travel Guides

Now that you have an idea of Madrid’s unique nightlife, forget about sleep and check out eTips for suggestions on bars, restaurants, and events Spain’s most cosmopolitan city has to offer.