Madrid Hostel
Equity Point runs Metropol Hostel (in the very centre of Madrid)
Madrid Guide
The metropolis of Madrid, with more than three million habitants, rises 646 metres above sea level as the capital of Spain. Situated in the geographical centre of the Iberian peninsula, in the middle of the legendary ‘Castillas’, it has become a cosmopolitan city, a business centre for great European multinational companies and the headquarters of the State and Government offices. It also houses the main banks of the country and is the home of the Spanish royal family.
The origins of Madrid date back to the times of Arab Emir Mohamed I (852-886), who ordered the construction of a fortress next to the river Manzanares. The city was the cause of a subsequent dispute between Christians and Arabs until it was taken by Alfonso VI in the 11th century. At the end of the 17th century a new defence line was built in Madrid to protect the new external areas, and consequently the routes to Segovia, Toledo and Valencia emerged. In the 18th century, during the reign of Carlos III, the main arteries of the city such as Paseo del Prado and Paseo de las Acacias were constructed.
Madrid started on its rise with José Bonaparte, who commissioned the alterations to Puerta del Sol and its surroundings; Gran Vía was built in a similar way to seventh avenue as a kind of luxurious shopping mall. In the ‘50s, the majestic Paseo de la Castellana was extended and the great financial institutions of the country had great, modern buildings constructed along it.
Clearly classical in character, the great city started to adapt slowly to modern times and little by little it turned into a compulsory visiting point for all tourists who wanted to get to know the life of Spain in all its splendour. It is only here that you will find the great avenues with the impressive ministries; no other Spanish city houses such a large quantity of monumental buildings, the majority of which are used for public purposes.
Madrid is a classical and closed city but it has also known how to develop its night life, resulting in its much mentioned diversity of atmospheres, perfect for enjoying a drink, some tapas (if possible combined with the famous battered squid sandwich) and partying until dawn.
The best of Madrid
Museo del Prado
Museo Thyssen
Puerta del Sol
Almudena Cathedral
Plaza Mayor
The Serrano area
T4 (the new modern and impressive airport terminal)
Paseo de la Castellana
Plaza Cibeles
Casa de Correos (General Post Office)
We also have hostels in Barcelona, Girona, Marrakech and London: