The Making of Madrid
Your guide to Spain’s capital
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Madrid’s Oldest Stores
A tribute to Madrid’s oldest stores You may have noticed little brass plaques in front of shops in Madrid. Designed by the cartoonist Mingote, they indicate that the store in front of you has been in business for more than 100 years. An incredible feat considering that these shops have stayed the course through a civil…
Eleven Truly Madrileño Terms
Updated 12 May 2025 People from Madrid are a welcoming sort, but even so, they do have a strong sense of their own identity. Just like DNA, it is coded into the language, marking them out as citizens of the city. Which is why, if you’re in Madrid to stay, it’s worth getting to grips with…
Quiet corners of the Prado
Out of the pandemic, there’s no perfect time to visit the Prado. Even if you visit first thing in the morning or during lunchtime – that’s 2 pm to 4 pm in Spain – you’ll still have to contend with crowds swarming around the museum’s greatest masterpieces. And while Velazquez’s Las Meninas, Goya’s Black Paintings and…
Three Museums that Reveal Madrid Through the Ages
From when mammoths stalked the Manzanares River to when Napoleon stomped through the city’s gates, these three museums reveal Madrid through the ages. And the good news is, they’re all completely free! The Museum of San Isidro: The Origins of Madrid The first of my three museums that reveal Madrid through the ages is The Museum…
Recent blog posts
Where to Stay in Madrid: A Local’s Guide to the Best Neighborhoods
Originally published 8 December 2025 As a tour guide and Lonely Planet guidebook writer, I’ve been pounding Madrid’s streets for more than a decade, exploring not only its busy grand boulevards but also its charming quieter corners. So I’m a good person to ask about accommodation options if you’re a first timer with only a few…
Saving Madrid’s Trees AmyJo Doherty
Madrid suffers from one of Europe’s worst heat island effects, and the situation is getting worse. Rather than tackling this problem by planting trees, the local government has been doing the opposite—scrapping plans to add greenery and actively removing mature trees from key public spaces like Plaza Santa Ana and Arganzuela Park. I spoke with musician…
Kevin Ingram on the Descendants of Jewish Converts
Narratives surrounding Spain’s Jewish converts to Christianity and their descendants (known collectively as conversos) understandably focus on the victimization of this community. Historian Kevin Ingram shifts the perspective a little by asking what role they played as innovators in modern Spain. In the latest episode of the podcast to coincide with the presentation of his book…
Uncovering Madrid’s Buried Medieval History
Madrid holds a distinction that may surprise many visitors wandering through its grand boulevards and royal palaces: it’s the only European capital city founded by a Muslim ruler. Yet this fundamental fact about Spain’s capital often remains largely hidden from public view, buried not just in time but quite literally underground in car parks and behind…