Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a major economic center and has a big international airport at Barajas which is the largest in Spain. Madrid houses the Royalty. The Royal Palace with the King and Queen in residence is a major attraction for tourists. The palace is marble white in color and has lovely gardens which are open for the public. People can wander in the palace gardens and also see some of the rooms in the palace. There is a large lake in the park where boating is done. There is a memorial for the 191 people killed during the March 11, 2004 attacks. The palace is lit in the evenings and is a beautiful sight for the tourists.

Madrid is famous for their bullfights which take place regularly here. Huge bulls and their beautifully dressed matadors fight dangerously for the benefit of the audience who applaud skillful and dangerous moves. The largest bullring in Spain, the Plaza de Toros in Las Ventas is in Madrid. It has a large seating capacity of about 25,000 people and bullfights are normally held on Sundays from March to June and on feasts and special days. Though the sport is gory and not fit for people with weak stomachs, it is an attraction and the sport which has made Spain famous. Records of famous bullfights are all kept and maintained well.

Madrid has beautiful edifices, monuments, churches and mosques which visitors love to see. Madrid also has its share of fiestas, processions and merry making. The climate is good and the people are friendly. Madrid is a major financial center and has many head offices of big Spanish companies. It is the Headquarters of the Telefonica, Repsol-YPF and Endsea, three of the world’s largest companies.

Madrid has a lot of history and culture. The buildings and edifices of Madrid speak of the culture and history of Spain. The Royal Theatre, Opera House, the Buen Retiro Park, the 19th century National Library, museums and many other places are items on visitors’ lists which they can see. The station at Madrid is a poem in beauty. It is large and beautifully constructed. Trains from all over the country and other European countries bring tourists and commuters here. It has an indoor garden which is 4000 sq feet, where more than five hundred species of plants are grown. There is a pond with turtles and other species as well. Plant lovers visit the station, not for boarding trains or going somewhere but to see the beautiful and rare plants. It is unique.

Madrid is 607 square kms in size and has about 3.2 million people. Spaniards love their fiestas, food and drink and are generally merry. Tourist guides speak Spanish, English, French and Italian languages and take visitors on smooth and well conducted tours. Tourism is a big industry in Spain