There is a city…built in the wilderness. Philip II. he chose this city only because it is located in the geographical center of Spain - These are the thoughts of the writer Gerald Brenan, who in the book Face of Spain already in 1950 described the Spanish capital as a creation that is an end in itself and is devoid of soul and style.
But despite the difficult economic situation, it is Madrid a city that boils with creative energy and the will to live and create in all areas, but above all, creativity is shown and expressed in the fashion area.
Fashion
A fashion superpower
In the ranking of fashion capitals, Madrid moved up to fifth place and is becoming a serious rival to Barcelona, which holds the title of Spain's fashion center. Twice a year, a fashion week called Pasarela Cibeles takes place in Madrid, where Madrid's fashion designers are presented. Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Pura López, Antonio Miró and Paco Rabanne are just a few of the most famous names. Spain has turned into a fashion superpower mainly thanks to the Inditex Group corporation, whose most famous brand is Zara, as well as Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka and Stradivarius. Spain's reputation is also strengthened by other fashion brands such as Loewe, Camper, Mango and Pronovias, which is the world's largest manufacturer of wedding dresses.
Manolo Blahnik shoes
Probably the hottest name among shoe designers is Manolo Blahnik, who can thank the Sex in the City series for his worldwide reputation. There probably isn't a woman who wouldn't sigh at the sight of the latest Blahnik designs during the adventures of Sarah Jessica Parker. The designer of the most desirable shoes in the world was born to a Spanish mother and a Czech father in the Canary Islands. After studying languages and art in Geneva, he got a job in Paris and was employed as a scenographer. During a visit to New York in 1970, he showed his plans to the editor of the American edition of Vogue at the time, who noticed the shoes in particular and encouraged him to develop his talent, which led to today's obsession with his creations.
Manolo Blahnik, Calle de Serrano 58, Madrid, www.manoloblahnik.com
Entertainment
Nightlife
In Pedro Almodovar's The Flower of My Secret, an estranged husband calls his wife and asks if it's too late to call. She replies: "It's never too late in Madrid". Her words could be the advertising slogan of the city with the most bars in Europe. Madrid only comes alive when night falls. Visitors are often surprised to see families with children running around the streets in the early morning hours in the summer. Madrid's obsession with la noche is partly conditioned by the climate, as during the summer months it is only pleasant to wander the city streets after sunset. Nightlife is more routine than revelry, part of the "day", when "Madrilenji" go on errands that they cannot do during the scorching heat.
Club scene
Nightlife is the walk of a grandmother with her grandchildren and the club scene in mega discos such as Fabrik or Space of Sound. The rhythm and form of entertainment varies from quarter to quarter. Chueca, once a run-down neighborhood north of Gran Via, has turned into one of Europe's most exciting gay districts and therefore one of the most popular areas of the city, where you can find notorious clubs with lots of latex and leather, alongside heterosexual-friendly cafes. The Barrio de Salamanca district attracts a chic, snobbish and fashion-conscious elite who gather at clubs like 4 Bajo Cero. The multicultural and multinational neighborhood of Lavapiés is full of cheerful alternative bars, like the La Lupe bar. Malasaña mainly attracts rockers and the youth in skinny jeans, who find their fashion awareness and inspiration in the trendy boutiques and cafes of Calle del Espíritu Santo, which only really comes alive after midnight. TriBall is a triangle of streets north of the Gran Vía shopping street, worth a visit for the bars and boutiques that have sprung up on the site of dilapidated shops, and today is one of the most tented areas of the city.
Discotheque Fabrik, Avenida de la Industria 82, www.grupo-kapital.com/fabrik
Discotheque Space of Sound, Plaza Estación de Chamartín, www.spaceofsound.com
Club 4 Bajo Cero, Calle de Alcalá 90
Bar La Lupe, Calle Torrecilla del Leal 12
Tapas
Snacks are the law!
Tapas bars used to be humble pubs where those who didn't treat themselves to a proper meal nibbled on small bites and drank more than they ate. Today, however, chefs are competing to present a more imaginative offering of typical snacks called tapas. On Calle San Mateo between Chueca and Malasaña, three friends opened the Olé Lola bar and restaurant in 2009, where you won't spend a fortune for superbly prepared dishes. The owners are convinced that most people lose track of salty, expensive dishes, so they offer imaginative and delicious tapas that attract even the most spoiled gourmets. In a glamorous baroque setting, surrounded by the stern gaze of bullfighters staring from framed photographs on the walls, guests lounge casually on spacious velvet sofas and enjoy the flavors of warm sandwiches with mozzarella and black truffles or homemade curd cakes, all washed down with fine wine from of all Spanish wine regions.
Olé Lola, Calle San Mateo 28, www.olelola.com
Museums and galleries
Free within Madrid
Visiting two of Madrid's most famous museums is free on certain days and times. Entry to the Prado Museum, which houses works by Picasso, El Greco, Velazquez and Goya, is free from Monday to Saturday from 6pm to 8pm and on Sundays from 5pm to 7pm. The Queen Sofia Museum is free of charge from Monday to Friday from 19:00 to 21:00, on Saturdays from 14:30 to 21:00 and on Sundays from 10:00 to 19:00. Both museums are free for students from EU member states, for under 18s and over 65s. Visiting the museum is also free on May 18, International Museum Day. The bullfighting museum is free, whenever we decide to visit.
Royal Palace
The official residence of the King of Spain and the largest palace in Western Europe, it is a magnificent Baroque building adorned with works by Velazquez, Goya and Caravaggio, an extensive collection of weapons and the only complete Stradivarius string quartet. Admission is free on Wednesdays, as well as on May 18.
www.museodelprado.es
www.museoreinasofia.es
Bullfighting museum Museo Taurino, Calle de Alcalá 237
Interior design trends
If not the most important and prestigious European exhibition of interior design, then certainly the most interesting for the public, Casa Decor brings together experts, companies and visitors with its imaginative concept. The project begins with the selection of a building, which is renovated by teams of professionals in the fields of architecture, interior design and landscape architecture, thereby demonstrating their knowledge and skills in the best possible way. This year, the exhibition will take place on the 3,900 square meters of the former British Embassy building in the Chamberí district. Galleries also participate in the exhibition, wanting to show various works of art to the thousands of visitors who flock to the building over the course of a month. In addition to the exhibition, several meetings, lectures and press conferences will be organized in Madrid from May 17 to June 23, i.e. during Case Decor, where the exhibitors will present themselves.
www.casadecor.es
