Direct flights resume! How to enjoy Madrid, the city of "art" and "gourmet food"

Madrid: the city of art and gourmet food

When you hear the word Spain, many people probably think of fine food. In fact, the capital Madrid is a city where you can enjoy not only fine food but also art. As one of Europe's leading art treasure troves, you can experience a wide variety of works, from historical masterpieces to contemporary art.

If you are visiting Spain from Japan, Iberia's direct flight from Narita to Madrid is convenient.

Iberia, JAL's joint venture partner for European routes, will resume its codeshare flight "Narita-Madrid direct flight" three round trips per week from October 27, 2024. The flight time has been significantly reduced to 15 hours 50 minutes for the outbound flight and 14 hours 20 minutes for the return flight, making travel to Spain more accessible.

*Schedule as of November 22, 2024.

Visit the three major art museums on the "Paseo del Arte"

When talking about Madrid's art scene, "Paseo del Arte" (Museum Street) is an essential part of the city. The so-called "Big Three" art museums are lined up in the center of the city, and it's about a six-minute walk from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in the north to the Prado Museum, and about a ten-minute walk from the Prado Museum to the Reina Sofia Museum! From here, we'll take a look at the appeal of these "Big Three" art museums and their must-see works.

The Prado Museum, a temple of painting where masterpieces by the great masters are gathered

The Prado Museum is often named one of the three greatest art museums in the world. It opened in 1819 as a facility to display the Spanish royal collection in one place. As a result, it is known as the museum that displays the largest number of works in the world by masters such as Velázquez, who served as court painters for the Spanish royal family, and Francisco de Goya.

A must-see is Velázquez's masterpiece, "Las Meninas." It is solemnly exhibited in the center of the "Velázquez Room," which is a collection of his works. This painting, which is prohibited by law from being taken out of Spain, can only be viewed here at the Prado Museum.

In addition, in the Goya section, you can view his famous paintings "Maja Naked" and "Maja Clothed" up close.

Of the approximately 34,000 artworks in the museum's collection, only a portion can be viewed at one time in permanent or special exhibitions, but art lovers will not get bored even if they spend an entire day there! There are about 80 exhibition rooms, each displaying masterpieces by great masters, and many of the rooms are large, with so many artworks that you'll want to spend more than an hour looking at each one.

Prado Museum

The Reina Sofia Museum, a contemporary art museum that will blow your mind with Picasso's "Guernica"

The Reina Sofia Museum of Art is home to a collection of works by Spanish contemporary artists, including Salvador Dali and Joan Miro. The highlight is Pablo Picasso's famous painting "Guernica."

This work beautifully depicts the tragedy of the indiscriminate bombing of Guernica, a town in the Basque Country in northern Spain, by Nazi Germany. When you step into the exhibition room, you will be overwhelmed by the size of this work.

This huge painting, 3.5m high and 7.8m wide, is an anti-war piece, but it does not depict a specific battle scene. Instead, various motifs such as the sun, horses, swords, and mother and child overlap in a chaotic fashion, leaving a strong impression on the viewer.

This painting is an important Spanish cultural asset and cannot be loaned outside the country, so you can only see it here.

Compared to the Prado Museum, the advantage is that you can see all the rooms in a shorter amount of time.
It is possible to tour the entire museum in about two hours, covering the main works, including Salvador Dali's "The Great Masturbator," which expresses his unique, dreamy worldview, Miro's "Pastoral," an abstract work that shines with individuality, and "Bottle of Anise" by the Spanish Cubist painter Juan Gris.

Reina Sofía Museum

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum: Classical, Impressionist and Avant-garde works

While the Prado Museum mainly displays classical masterpieces and the Reina Sofia Museum displays the best of modern art, here you can trace the history of European painting from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The wide range of exhibits and the fact that they cover the entire history of Western art are a major attraction. Even if you don't have a detailed knowledge of art, you can naturally experience the evolution of paintings by touring the museum.

Must-sees include Caravaggio's "Saint Catherine of Alexandre" (1598), Vincent van Gogh's "View of Vesseno near Auvers" (1890), and Claude Monet's "The Thaw at Bétour" (1881).

The museum also exhibits the masterpiece by surrealist master Salvador Dali, "A Dream Caused by a Bee Buzzing Around a Pomegranate One Second Before I Woke Up," so be sure to check it out as well.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

After your art tour, enjoy local specialties around Plaza Mayor

After satisfying your intellectual curiosity with art, fill your stomach with Madrid's famous cuisine! Madrid has many high-end restaurants, but there are also many delicious, everyday, low-class gourmet foods. Here are some popular gourmet foods you can easily enjoy around Plaza Mayor.

Bocata de Calamares: A delicious sandwich with crispy fried squid

In Spain, sandwiches made with baguettes are called "bocadillos" or "bocatas." Bocatas are popular for excursions and outdoor activities, and are a taste that Spaniards have been familiar with since childhood. The filling varies from region to region, and there is such a wide variety that it would be fun to go on a bocata tour around Spain.

The recommended bocata in Madrid is "Bocata de Calamares" with fried squid rings. It is a popular menu item at every store, so the turnover is fast, and it is served freshly fried between bread, so you can enjoy the crispy texture.

You can always find bocatas at restaurants and bars around the Plaza Mayor corridor, so try your hand at one of your favorites. Another great way to enjoy local cuisine is to order this dish at a bar and eat it standing up at the counter with the locals.

It's not like you have to line up and wait your turn, so it might be a little difficult if you're not used to it, but there are experienced staff members who will keep a close eye on you and always call out to you.

Meson del Championon, a famous restaurant that serves whole roasted mushrooms

Meson del Champion, located just a one-minute walk down the stairs from Plaza Mayor, is a famous restaurant known to all Madrid residents.

Chanpinon means mushroom in Spanish. When the restaurant first opened in 1964, it was literally a one-dish restaurant that only served champinhons.

Chopped garlic and parsley are placed on the inside-out mushrooms and grilled in olive oil, then seasoned with just a little lemon juice and salt. The simple flavor of the mushrooms topped with a piece of chorizo has been passed down unchanged for over 60 years. By grilling only one side, the juices that seep out of the mushrooms overflow into the folds of the mushrooms like soup, filling your mouth with a rich aroma.

The chunky mushrooms are served individually with a toothpick pierced. If you look closely, you'll see that there are two toothpicks per mushroom. The key to enjoying the dish without spilling any of the juice is to pick it up with both hands and eat it in one bite.

Meson del Champiñon

San Miguel Market: Enjoy a variety of flavors at the eat-in area

Located next to Plaza Mayor, the San Miguel Market is a temple of Madrid's gourmet eat-in scene, visited by more than 10 million people a year. Once you step inside the market, you'll see a row of specialty food stands, with an eat-in space in the middle.

There are about 30 stores lined up, including a stand that grills fresh razor clams on the spot, a stand selling Spanish cheese that is fun to look at, a stand selling jamon (prosciutto) and sausages cut into bite-sized pieces, Spanish omelettes, homemade bread, meat dishes, colorful olives, and even sweets and desserts.

All of these dishes are easy to order for one person, but the food sold at the stalls in this market is of the highest quality. The paella and ice cream made by a Michelin-star chef are also excellent. San Miguel Market is a fun spot where you can enjoy gourmet food from all over Spain in one place, no matter how many times you visit during your stay.

San Miguel Market

World Heritage sites near Madrid that can be enjoyed on a day trip

There are many World Heritage sites around Madrid that you can easily enjoy on a day trip. They are all historic cities where you can enjoy rich culture, architecture, beautiful nature and art. We will introduce the highlights of each city.

Alcala de Henares

Alcalá de Henares, also known as the birthplace of Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, is about 35km east of Madrid. It is easily accessible by regular train in about 40 minutes. The University of Alcalá, founded in the 15th century as Europe's first planned university city, is also worth a visit.

Aranjuez

Aranjuez, famous for Joaquin Rodrigo's masterpiece "Concierto de Aranjuez," is a World Heritage Site located about 50km south of Madrid. Its royal palace and vast gardens are attractive, and the scenery is a perfect match for the sound of the guitar.

El Escorial

El Escorial Monastery, also known as the mausoleum of the Spanish royal family, is one of the largest monasteries in Spain. Inside, there is a library with a beautiful frescoed ceiling and paintings from the royal collection adorning the corridors, making it as magnificent as a museum.

Toledo

Toledo is a historic city where Christian, Jewish and Islamic cultures intersect, with the Cathedral at the center of the Spanish Catholic Church, and the entire old town is registered as a World Heritage Site. It is located further south from Aranjuez, but it takes about 30 minutes from Madrid by AVE high-speed train. It is perfect for a day trip.

Segovia

The historical city of Segovia is about 30 minutes north on the AVE high-speed train. It is a small city with the largest Roman aqueduct in Spain, built around the 1st or 2nd century AD during the height of the Roman Empire, and the Alcazar (fortress), said to have been the model for the castle in Disney's Snow White. The old town is just the right size for a day's stroll.

So, are you ready to board your direct flight from Narita to Madrid? Take a wonderful trip filled with culture and art, including art, gourmet food, and nearby World Heritage sites.

Interview and photography (partial): Mariko Ogura

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