The Madrid region is dominated by the city of Madrid, the capital at the heart of Spain. This is the place that has been the seat of power since the 16th century, when it was pragmatically selected purely because of its convenient central location. I guess this makes it a modern city when compared to the European ancients such as Rome and Paris, but if you think about the architecture of most cities then the most inspiring examples of it have been built in the period since that time – and so it is with Madrid a city that shows a great wealth of monuments.

Although getting around this large town normally requires using the metro, a good tour can start with the Puerta del Sol which is recignized as the centre of the city. Many of the important roads converge on this point:

You can: head West on Calle Arenal to get to the Royal Theater & Palace; head South-West on Calle Mayor to find the Plaza Mayor and the "Austrias" part of Madrid; head East and the Carrera de San Jerónimo will lead you to the Congress and Prado Museum or Calle de Alcalá takes you straight to Plaza de Cibeles, the Puerta de Alcalá and the Retiro Park.

To the north Puerta del Sol there are the Montera, Carmen and Preciados which are great for shopping and deliver you to the Gran Vía.

Perhaps more importantly than the sites though is that Madrid is the working hub for the country, people here work harder and play harder than elsewhere.. and manage to enjoy the mixture in a way that does not seem to overly impair their social skills. The Spanish in Madrid appear on the whole to maintain their trademark passion for life.

All in all, this makes Madrid an exciting destination for the young and adventurous with a bit of cash to spend on a night or two on the tiles. Most northern Europeans relish the bewildering schedule shift experienced when visiting.. nobody actually starts their evening out until 10pm a time when many of other European towns are starting to think about getting a taxi home. Inevitably this means you will not get back to the hotel until 4 am at the earliest – or at all. In fact, just forget about a hotel if you go for one night.