Venue

Hotel NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding

Located in Madrid´s city centre. The hotel, completely renovated in 2014, is located in the heart of the AZCA financial district, beside the avenue “Paseo de la Castellana” and the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, 10 minutes drive in car to the historic centre and 15 to the airport, the IFEMA convention centre and train stations. It is considered as the best leisure and business hotel in Europe thanks to its facilities, service, cuisine and technological innovations. Furthermore, it has the best cuisine on offer in Madrid: DiverXO, with three Michelin stars, DOMO by Paco Roncero & Diego Cabrera and 99 Sushi Bar. In addition, it has one of the best spas and fitness centres in the capital: Metropolitan Fitness Center & Spa.

More information about the venue can be found on www.nh-hoteles.es

Places of interest in Madrid

Madrid is the capital of Spain as well as the Spanish city that receives the most visitors. With more than 4 million visitors in 2013, Madrid finds itself in ninth position in Europe. The number of tourists in Madrid grows year by year due to a perfect combination of culture, monuments and leisure. 

Walks through Madrid. The Gran Via is the best known street in the city. On this street we can find restaurants, fashion shops and cinemas. At its peak, the Gran Via was given the nickname “the Madrilenian Broadway”. 

The Plaza Mayor, located in the heart of Madrid, a few metres away from the “Puerta del Sol” and the “Palacio Real”, is surrounded by colonnades and three floor buildings. When being built, several architects intervened, among which, Juan de Herrera and Juan Gómez de Mora can be pointed out.

The Parque del Retiro (Retreat Park) is the most important in Madrid since its opening to the public in 1868. In the “Retiro” there are hundreds of corners and hideouts to visit, and activities to enjoy: puppet shows, musicians, hand palm readers, fortune-tellers and psychics, are some of the usual distractions. The “Palacio de Cristal” (Crystal Palace), built in 1887 alongside its artificial lake, is the venue for a lot of seasonal exhibitions. 

Museums. The Museo del Prado (Prado Museum) in Madrid, has got a collection that includes more than 7000 paintings, 1000 sculptures, 4800 figures and 8200 drawings, as well as a large number of decorative art objects and historical documents. Within the treasures that can be contemplated in the museum, there are jewels such as El Jardín de las Delicias del Bosco, Las tres gracias de Rubens, Las Meninas de Velázquez, Los Fusilamientos de Goya, El Lavatorio de Tintoretto and El Descendimiento de Roger van der Weyden.

The Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum) includes artwork from the 19th and 20th century defined within the following movements and styles, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, German Expressionism movements, Vanguard and paintings from the European and American Post-War. The museum, with its three floors, covers the history of western paintings from the 13th century to the 20th century. Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Romanticism, Pop Art, etc., are represented in the near to 1000 pieces on display.

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (National Museum Art Centre Queen Sofía) presents, in its ongoing collection, the first connections between modern Spain and Europe, by means of Picasso, Miró, Dalí, Juan Gris, María Blanchard, Alberga el Guernica de Pablo Picasso, one of the most emblematic presentations in the contemporary world. 

Shopping. In Madrid there are a vast number of shopping areas with a variety of shops, and therefore you can always find what you are looking for. Fuencarral, a street in the centre, is an ideal place to find the most modern and special shops in Madrid. The street known as Calle Preciados forms one of the main commercial areas and it is one of the not so many shopping areas in the city with pedestrian access. The Calle Serrano, which is located within the “Barrio de Salamanca” (Salamanca Neighbourhood), surrounded by magnificent classic architectural buildings; is a distinguished shopping centre in which you can find the most prestigious and luxurious brand names. The Rastro, with more than 400 years of history, is much more than a street market, selling antique articles and curious items every Sunday, and becoming, over the years, a tourist attraction. 

Special markets. The Mercado de San Miguel (San Miguel Market), located in a more traditional part of Madrid, is a historic and monumental area that offers high quality and fresh products in a traditional and pleasant atmosphere. The Mercado de San Antón (San Antón Market), existent since 1945, became an important meeting place. At present, after being remodelled, it is a delightful place, ideal for relaxing whilst tasting delicious dishes.

Gastronomy. Madrid´s cuisine is known for the traditional cooking typical of the original population when Felipe the Second founded the capital, and subsequently of the villages in his own province that provided their food to the traditional cooking in the city of Madrid. It is customary to acknowledge that the smell that represents Madrilenian cooking is in fact that of frying cooking oil: churros, squid rings in batter, Spanish omelette, squid baguettes on offer in the bars, fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce, baby squid, etc. Many of the dishes with the name “Madrilenian style” originate in the Madrilenian pubs and inns. 

For more information visit: www.esmadrid.com

 

Near to Madrid

Ávila preserves the oldest (11th century) and complete walled enclosure in Spain. Its Romanesque wall of 2,500 metres and the 90 fortified towers surround the historical centre and protect the monumental treasures: gothic palaces, Romanesque churches and a fortified cathedral from the 12th century. Segovia is home to the most famous roman aqueduct in the world, 16 kilometres long. Within the city, with one of the most valued medieval remains in Spain, there is great emphasis on the Cathedral and the Fortress, the most spectacular castle in the country. 

Toledo is the birthplace of “El Greco” and one of the prettiest citys in Spain. Known as the “Ciudad de las Tres Culturas” (City of Three Cultures), Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together in this city. When in Toledo you must visit the Cathedral, the Iglesia de Santo Tomé (Santo Tomé Church), where you can find, El Greco´s masterpiece “El Entierro del Señor de Orgaz”, Santa María la Blanca´s Synagogue or the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes.