Places of interest for tourists in Madrid
Madrid is the heartthrob of Spain. Some tourists say that it is always better to go round this city on foot because if one goes by car, he would miss many of the places worth seeing. There is so much to see; great museums, parks, markets, churches, cable car and what not. Unless the tour is well planned, the tourist will certainly miss many of the places worth seeing. An attempt has been made to introduce few of the important places in this great city.
Museums: Of all the museums that are there in Madrid, following three museums are considered to be the best:
Museo del Prado: This museum is about 191 years old. It has the most prestigious painting called ‘Las Meninas’ by the famous painter Diego Velzquez of Spain. Apart from this, it has a huge collection of works of European art of 12th century to 19th century. It has a huge collection of more than 10000 objects, all of which are on display.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: It has a large collection of paintings from all over the world. Although it has collections of works of earlier periods also, it has a rich collection of works of the 20th century. This museum has with it about 1600 most prestigious works from all over the world.
Queen Sofia Art Centre: Although this museum was opened very recently in the year 1992, it has come to limelight in a very short span of time. It has a good collection of modern art belonging to the 20th century. It has a specialized library which is dedicated for the works of art.
Puerta del Sol:
Located at the busiest place of Madrid city, this plaza is deemed to be the heart of Madrid. The imposing statue of a bear (oso) which is climbing the ‘madrono’ tree is located near the plaza. In fact, this is Madrid’s symbol. The measurement of the national highway starts from here and this point is called the point zero. The neon symbol of ‘Tio Pepe’ is located just over the plaza. It is from here that the clock’s ringing to announce the arrival of the ‘New Year’ is broadcast the world over.
La Casa de Campo:
This was actually a park of the Royal family. A part of the park has been converted as a zoo. The entire place is peaceful and the best place for relaxation. This park is very near to the Palacio Real, the palace of the royal family.
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