This book performs with great thoroughness all the usual functions of a guidebook. But it is much more than a mere inventory of buildings, paintings, sculpture, routes & views, supplemented by appendices packed with practical information. The authors
- from their long experience & deep knowledge of the country
- are exceptionally well-equipped to draw together into a coherent whole all the threads of history, art, culture & recent developments. They steer you in most rewarding directions, enlivening the hallowed hush of museum or sacristy with an original interpretation of some great painter
- El Greco, Goya, Picasso
- or an observation which suddenly illuminates the seemingly unexceptional. Madrid, rather than just a political capital at the geographical centre of the country, is revealed as a true metropolis, genuinely representative of all the aspects & regional variations of Spanish life. Its art collections are justly renowned as superb. Add in the cluster of historical cities at an easy distance (including Segovia, Avila & Toledo), to say nothing of the lesser-known treasures & delights secreted in the heartlands of Castile, & you have, within a manageable compass, the core of Spanish civilisation.



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Madrid & Toledo in Rick Steves' Snapshot Guides, which consist of the best chapters of Rick Steves' European country guidebooks. Published in the UK by Avalon, comprise a range of titles focussing on destinations in Great Britain & Europe. As one of the leading American guide book publishers to European destinations, Rick Steves ...

Madrid & Toledo in Rick Steves' Snapshot Guides, which consist of the best chapters of Rick Steves' European country guidebooks. Published in the UK by Avalon, comprise a range of titles focussing on destinations in Great Britain & Europe. As one of the leading American guide book publishers to European destinations, Rick Steves ...

Madrid in the Cities of the Imagination guide series; providing an in-depth cultural & historical exploration of some of the great city landscapes of the world. Presented as a cultural & literary guide, each title in the series explores the history of the city, providing an overview of the city’s development from its earliest roots to the modern day. Particular emphasis is placed on the literary, poetic, architectural, cultural & historical elements that make up the city & each title is written & researched by an academic expert. An Epilogue offers thoughts on the future of the city, suggested further reading & indices of literary & historical names & famous places & attractions. ...

The northern part of central Spain with coverage extending from west of Segovia, Sierra de Guadarrama, Madrid & Toledo to Zaragoza & Teruel, at 1:500, 000 in a series of regional road maps from the country’s civilian survey organization IGN-CNIG (Instituto Geográfico Nacional
- Centro Nacional de Información Geográfica), vividly presenting the topography by altitude colouring, boundaries of national/natural parks, etc. Road network is graded & coloured into six types; road numbers are given only on main national roads & no driving distanced are marked. Railway lines are shown with stations & local airports are marked. Icons prominently indicate UNESCO World Heritage sites & state-run parador accommodations. The maps also show administrative boundaries & all place names & other information (roads, railways, topographic features) are presented classified according to its official status. Topography (shown only within Spain’s borders) is indicated by satellite imagery enhanced by altitude colouring, with spot heights, names of mountain ranges, boundaries of national/natural parks, etc. The maps have latitude & longitude lines at 30’ intervals. Map legend is in Spanish only. The series was first published in 2014. To see other titles in this series please click on the series link.
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Colour survey map with contours & spot heights. Towns (including Madrid) are picked out in red, as are main roads. Vegetation is shown in green & the River Manzanares in blue. Would make an interesting contrast with the contemporary survey map of the capital. ...

Madrid in the Wallpaper City Guide series, published by Phaidon & encompassing a collection of pocket-size guides dedicated to the best design elements in major cities. Compiled by experts at the Wallpaper magazine, the guides are widely recognized for appealing to design-conscious travellers & are aimed at those interested in art, design & architecture. Each guide identifies the best bars, restaurants, hotels, places to shop, leisure activities & excursions with a unique emphasis on the finest examples of unusual architecture & design. Each Wallpaper City Guide has the same layout, with separate tabs allowing readers & travellers to access individual sections easily. The tabs consist of Landmarks, Hotels, 24 Hours, Urban Life, Architour, Shopping, Sports & Escapes. High quality colour photographs appear alongside brief descriptions of each hotel, bar or attraction, highlighting distinctive & unusual styles of architecture & design. Extra pages are provided at the back of each guide, allowing readers to record their own notes & sketches. ...

Founded by the Moors, the Spanish capital only rose to prominence in the 16th century, when Philip II chose it as a base from which to manage his empire
- & it took a further two centuries to become the grandly aristocratic city we see today. Hugh Thomas, best known for his authoritative analysis of the Spanish Civil War, has chosen from diaries, letters, memoirs & novels ranging across five centuries of Madrid's history. The anthology brilliantly evokes the drama & personalities of the past by drawing on eye-witness accounts & commentaries from both visitors & inhabitants. These include Beaumarchais, Beckford, Luis Bunuel, Alexandre Dumas, Goya, Victor Hugo, Hemingway, Napoleon, & scores of others. The Duke of Wellington walks in the shady Paseo del Prado in 1812; bullfights are viewed in the 17th century by the great historian the Earl of Clarendon; in more recent times Salvador Dali plays a surrealist joke on a snooty barman at the Ritz. There are glimpses of Rubens in the Alcazar, Manet at the Prado, generals & anarchists in the Puerta del Sol, & Casanova & Trotsky in prison.A richly satisfying mixture that provides both an introduction to the city & an essence of the spirit of place.
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The Spanish gift of combining tradition & modernity so effortlessly is encompassed by Madrid. From experiencing the legendary Madrileno nightlife to visiting the remote mountain villages within easy reach, Central Spain has something to offer all travellers. Footprint Focus provides invaluable information on transport, accommodation, eating & entertainment to ensure that your trip

Includes:: the best of this vivacious region of Spain. Essentials section with useful advice on getting to & around Madrid. Comprehensive, up-to-date listings of where to eat, sleep & play.

Includes:: information on tour operators & activities, from dancing in flamenco clubs to visiting monolithic monasteries. Detailed maps for central Spain's key destinations. Slim enough to fit in your pocket. With detailed information on all the main sights, plus many lesser-known attractions, Footprint Focus Madrid & Central Spain provides concise & comprehensive coverage of one of Spain's most dynamic regions. The content of the Footprintfocus Madrid & Central Spain guide has been extracted from Footprint's Spain Guide.



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Madrid & Seville street plans combined on one map from Red Maps, presented in a handy concertina format & printed on thick high quality paper, with thematic indexes for sights, hotels, shopping, etc. On one side are two street plans of Madrid: the city centre in more detail at 1:12, 750 approx, extending from the Atocha railway station & the Reina Sofia Museum north to include the shopping streets of the Salamanca district, plus a less detailed plan at 1:34, 600 approx extending further north to the Chamartin station & including Real Madrid ...