Madrid Off the Beaten Track

Our Local Expert Says:

There are guided tours of the stadium, check the website for times.

Description:

A group of Basque students living in Madrid formed this football club in 1903. By 1928, the team was playing in the Spanish First Division and have remained in the top league ever since, except for five seasons in the Second Division. The club has won nine Spanish League championships, nine King's Cups and one Spanish Champions League Cup. More recently, Atletico won the highly coveted "double," the League Championship and the King's Cup in 1996. Their home ground is Vicente Calderon Stadium, built in 1966 to hold a maximum of 56163 spectators. Events are conducted throughout the year.

Description:

The history of the world of desire, eroticism and sexuality from the earliest times to the present day is described in this museum. Rare objects related to sexuality from the ancient civilizations of Japan, South America and the West can be found along with items relating to masturbation and sadomasochism. The whole range of sexual experience is displayed through films, photographs, TVs and computers. The museum shop sells all manner of objects, books and comics for those who want to take a souvenir home with them.

Description:

This organisation offers a wide range of courses in mountain pursuits run by qualified instructors. You can learn how to climb on ice and rocks, learn how to ski on all surfaces, predict the weather and acclimatise to different outdoor weather conditions. Courses can be as short as a few hours, a weekend or even a trip to the Alps. You can sign up for organised tours to mountainous areas all over the world to take part in adventure sports.

Description:

This student residence is best known because of the five students who lived here and later went on to become famous in different fields: the poets, Federico García Lorca and Miguel Hernández; the painter, Salvador Dalí; the film director, Luis Buñuel and the doctor, Severo Ochoa. Part of the building is now a residence for researchers and the rest belongs to a private foundation that organizes conferences, exhibitions, poetry readings and interdisciplinary forums that are open to the public. You'll find the neo-Mudéjar style building, built in 1911, behind the Natural Science Museum.

Description:

Specializing in Spanish and European comics, the Comic Co. sells commercial and underground comic books as well as character figurines in an attractive Malasaña shop where it's not uncommon to hear jazz playing in the background.

Description:

The so-called "M-30 mosque" (because it stands beside the motorway) is the largest in Europe. It's a beautiful white marble building that contains a college, ritual bath house, gymnasium, cafe and an Arabic restaurant called Zahara. The complex was designed by three Polish architects and is financed by Saudi Arabia. King Juan Carlos I and Prince Salman ben Abdelaziz attended the opening ceremony in 1992. Religious services: Muslims pray five times a day. Consult the mosque´s prayer timetable for exact times.

Description:

For a fascinating look into the workings of the Spanish stock market, visit this impressive building designed by 19th-century architect Enrique María Rapulles. Located in the same small square as the Ritz hotel and just a short walk from the Prado, its neoclassical facade attracts almost as much attention as that of its illustrious neighbors. Visits are made at noon on weekdays, but you must make a prior call to arrange an appointment. You can view the stock exchange floor through a glass partition above and see a small exhibition on the history of the market.

Description:

Opened in March 2004 in Ciudad Universitaria, a 20-minute subway ride from the center, this museum displays more than 500 costumes, even frocks from the 1700s, along with bullfighters' "suits of light." Spanish folk dress is highlighted as well, along with Chanel designs and a 1967 metal dress made by designer Paco Rabanne. Movie scenes show fashions, including Bogie's Casablanca and Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy as she appeared in Funny Face. Attracting the most attention is Marilyn Monroe in a subway-blown William Travilla dress in The Seven Year Itch. Some exhibits are hands-on -- you can try on a corset or the frame of a hoop skirt, say, or even check out your derrière in a bustle. On-site is an excellent Basque restaurant, Bokado. Ever had gazpacho made with watermelon and lobster?