Culture in Madrid

Whether we're talking about drinking wine, admiring art, watching a bullfight, or partying on occasion of the saints, Spanish culture is undoubtedly a vibrant one. For a dose of the real thing, we've put together a list of the top ten (daytime) places to soak up some Spanish culture.

Our top pick is seeing the Real Madrid team (arguably Spain's top team) live in action at their home stadium, Santiago Bernabeú. Soccer (football) is an earnest religion in Spain and the display of energy with which Madrileños follow and celebrate the exploits of their home team is fantastic to witness. Their enthusiasm is, simply put, contagious.

For a truly Spanish cultural spectacle, you should consider attending a bullfight at Madrid's Las Ventas bullring, Spain's finest venue for bullfighting. We promise you'll never see anything quite like it. And apart from the bullfight, the people watching of Spanish families and groups of elderly men in berets is also interesting. The bullfight season runs from March to October, with bullfights scheduled every Sunday.

Our third pick for Spanish culture is the Prado Museum - Spain's greatest place for art. The museum contains what was in the vast Spanish royal collection as well as art from masters all across Europe.

The Monastery of the Barefoot Royals (Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales), our fourth pick, is a 16th century convent that was famously populated by the females of a number of royal and noble families. The premises of the palace turned convent now turned museum are richly decorated with paintings, tapestries, and artifacts.

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