Madrid Travel Blog

Holy Week (Easter) is an important period in the Catholic calendar, celebrating the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. As a Catholic majority country with centuries of traditions surrounding the celebration of Easter, Holy Week is a fascinating time to be in Spain, and Madrid in particular. Right...

For the love of fun and the love of sport, come cheer on the 7,000+ runners who will take to the streets of the Spanish capital for the 34th annual  marathon on April 17. You can join the people of Madrid and join in on the fun by encouraging the runners, shouting “¡Ánimo!” (Come on!). Live...

If by chance you didn’t get enough absurdity during Carnival’s raucous costume parties, Madrid marks the end of Carnival and the start of Lent in its own unique way – with a colorful mock funeral for a little sardine. Crowds of black-clad mourners from the Brotherhood of the Sardine – in Victorian-style...

Theater is about spectacle, magic, being immersed in another world. And it’s not just for the grownups, especially now. It’s the children’s time. From March 4 to 27, Teatralia, the 15th edition of Madrid’s international performing arts festival for children and youth, will bring wonderment to...

If, like me, you think there’s something sexy about a classic car, try not to miss the last day of Madrid’s classic car show ClassicAuto Madrid 2011. This year celebrates 100 years of the Monte Carlo Rally – a difficult race that has taken place along the French Riviera since 1911 – with an...

It’s Valentine’s Day. Imagine holding hands with your sweetheart, following the cobblestone street and wrought-iron streetlamps. It’s dusk and you’re strolling past Madrid’s immense Baroque palace, the largest in Western Europe. Together you walk into the manicured gardens of the Plaza de Oriente,...

Flamenco is an art of intense passion. And in February, Madrid becomes the stage for some of the best live flamenco music in the country with the 19th Annual Caja Madrid Flamenco Festival. From February 2-5 at La Casa Encendida, there will be flamenco-related talks and recitals of flamenco singing, but...

Madrid again proves its mettle as a world capital of food with the Gastrofestival Madrid 2011, which focuses on food as a sensory experience and food in the arts. From January 24 to February 6, diverse food-related events will take the capital by storm, including: • Cheese tastings at the Mercado...

To the delight of children (and their parents), the 2011 Madrid Three Kings’ Day Parade (Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos) will take place on the evening of January 5 down the noble Paseo de la Castellana with numerous floats, costumed performers, songs, and sweets for the children. Before the parade,...

In Spain the Christmas festivities last from December 24 to January 6, which is Three Kings Day, when many Spanish children receive their gifts from the Three Wise Men. While these days are merry occasions, they are still rather serious. December 28th is the notable exception – Holy Innocents’ Day...