city focus
Madrid
Madrid is a city that bursts with energy and vitality, and its exuberant
population and thriving nightlife scene make for a memorable
language travel experience. ANNA ZACHARIASSEN reports.
S
official centre of both Madrid and Spain,
ituated in the heart of the Iberian
and a slab of stone, known as Kilometre
Peninsula, Spain’s capital city, MaZero, marks the spot where six of Spain’s
drid, is a bustling metropolis and
national routes begin and three of the city’s
home to over five million people. Madrid’s
10 metro (underground train) lines converge.
status as an international business centre,
“The metro makes it very easy for stucombined with its reputation for culture and
dents to travel around Madrid,” says Angel
art, means that it attracts a wide variety of
Genanaz at Idiomas Plus. During the day,
international visitors. “[Students] like Matrains run every
drid because it is a cosmopolitan capital,”
three to five
says Sara Ledda at Instituto Hernan Cortes.
minutes and
“They are amazed by the streets, museums
each of the 11
and monuments.” Carmen Cuevas, at
metro lines has
Enforex Centro de Estudios, adds, “Students
its own specific
are keen to [explore] the variety of cultural
number and
activities the city has to offer.”
colour.
The influence of Madrid’s high-spirited
Immedilocal inhabitants, who are known as
ately north of
Madrileños, is evident in every aspect of
Puerta del Sol
city life, from the frenzied atmosphere of the
are the popular
Rastro flea market to the seemingly inexpedestrianised
haustible energy of revellers at the hundreds
shopping areas
of discos and tascas. “Most students like to
of Calle de
go out at night with their [host] families, but
Preciados and
some enjoy exploring the nightlife indeCalle del Carpendently,” says Gemma Dominguez,
men. Madrid also boasts plenty of bars,
Marketing Director at Anglojet Cultural
cafés and restaurants, which cater for a
Travel. “Palacio de Gaviria in Calle Arenal
variety of tastes, from French and Moroccan
is very popular among students because they
cuisine to traditional Spanare able to meet people
ish food, including
from other parts of the
chocolate con churros
world.” Music styles in the
(sticks of dough dipped in
city’s clubs are varied and
hot chocolate mousse) and,
many places, particularly
of course, tapas.
in the Chueca, Malasaña
Originally served
and Huertas areas, stay
El Rastro
free
in
bars as an accompaopen until dawn.
This huge flea market, held on
Sunday
mornings
in
an
old
niment to alcohol, the
During the day, Maworking-class area of Madrid, is
word “tapas” is now used
drid’s streets are teeming
popular with locals and visitors.
Stalls sell anything from retro
to describe any hot or cold
with people and traffic.
clothes and antiques to car parts
dish served in small porThe Puerta del Sol is the
48
tions, and can include seafood, tortilla and
cold meats. The Spanish even have a word –
tapear – which means to move from one bar
to another sampling different varieties of
tapas. “Students like eating paella and tortilla,” says Cuevas. “They also enjoy trying
other Spanish specialities such as Jamón
Ibérico (cured ham).” Plaza Santa Ana, east
of Puerto del Sol, boasts more than 200
tapas bars and is a popular student hangout.
The Parque del Buen Retiro (Retiro
Park), in the centre of Madrid, provides a
welcome oasis amid the hustle and bustle of
the city. Originally the grounds of a royal
retreat, the park has been public property for
Language Travel Magazine, December 2001
Agent viewpoint
“We have been sending students to Madrid for
three years. They choose to study there
because it is the capital of Spain and it has lots
of interesting architecture. Many of them also
say the people in Madrid speak the best
Spanish. In their spare time, students like to
visit some of the many museums and churches
in the city. Polish students find it very easy to
meet local [Spanish] people because they
have the same temperament.”
Magdalena Piescewicz, Centrum Olimpia,
Poland
PHOTOGRAPHS: SPANISH NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD
“Students [in Madrid] like the nightlife, the
public transport system, the museums and the
cultural activities, although they do not like the
large amount of traffic in some areas of the city.
Outside the classroom, they like to explore the
city and often attend rock and flamenco
concerts. Public transport in Madrid is very
inexpensive compared to other European
cities, as is entertainment such as the cinema
and theatre. I would recommend Madrid as a
study destination for students aged 18 years
and older.”
José Hellburg, SI-Language Travel, Sweden
“We send more than 200 students a year to
Madrid. They are mainly between the ages of
19 and 22 years old. Tapas dishes are very
popular and some parts of Madrid, such as Sol
or Plaza Mayor, get very busy in the evening.
Most of the pubs and bars [in Madrid] are free
[to enter] and there is never a long queue to
get in. As for nightlife, the clubs start getting
active at around 12am and many of them don’t
shut until 6.30am.”
Maureen McDermott-Meyer, IES Study
Abroad, USA
Casa de Cisneros
in Plaza de la Villa
(main picture)
door theatre and musical
performances in the sumEstadio Santiago Bernabeu
The impressive Bernabeu
more than 100 years and includes a boating
ways take some time to
mer and a Christmas market
Stadium, which can hold up to
lake, fortune-telling booths and travelling art
visit the Prado Museum,”
in the winter.
105,000 spectators, is the home
ground for the Spanish national
exhibitions. “Our school is [situated] just
says Dominguez.
There are also lots of
football team and internationally
one block from Retiro Park and students
Madrid has many other
festivals, which are imporsuccessful Real Madrid
[often] eat their lunch there,” says Juan
impressive art galleries
tant to Madrileños,
Manuel Sampere at Escuela Internacional
including Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza and
according to Sampere. “May is a great
Sampere. Some of Madrid’s other parks
the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which are
month in Madrid. Festivities [include] festiinclude Jardines de las Vistillas, with its
situated close to the Prado. The multi-funcvals, music and bull fights,” he says.
peaceful terrace bar and spectacular views
tional Círculo de Bellas Artes, on Calle
Madrid is also known for its footballing
of the Casa de Campo, and Parque Juan
Marqués de Casa Riera, is both a cultural
passion, and it is home two football teams,
Carlos I, Madrid’s newest park complete
and social centre complete with its own
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Accordwith olive trees and an
theatre, concert hall and
ing to Genanaz at Idiomas Plus, football is
artificial river.
four exhibition spaces.
one of the reasons many students choose to
The Museo del Prado is
Plaza Mayor, a
study Spanish in Madrid. “Real Madrid is a
one of Europe’s finest art
beautiful 17th-century
real [draw] for students,” he says. Swimgalleries and a pride of
square adjacent to Calle
ming is another popular sport in Madrid and
Madrid. Since it was opened
Mayor, has remained althe city has a large number of indoor and
in 1819, the museum has
most perfectly preserved
outdoor pools.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
acquired over 3,000 paintsince
it
was
first
used
as
an
All in all, Madrid offers language travel
Situated in the old Palacio de
Villahermosa,
close
to
the
Prado,
ings by some of Spain’s
arena for bull fights and
students a varied and exciting range of expethe Thyssen-Bornemisza art
finest artists, including
coronations. Today, the
riences, as Ledda sums up: “It is a city
gallery has paintings spanning
every major art movement from the
Goya, Valàzquez and
plaza still hosts several
where [students] can enjoy the climate as
14th to the 20th century
Bosch. “Our students alpublic events, such as outwell as art, literature, music and cuisine.”
Language Travel Magazine, December 2001
49