Toledo was the former capital of medieval Spain until 1560 and to this day remains one of the country’s greatest cities where the Jewish, Moorish and Christian cultures once lived together in relative harmony. It lies just 70km southwest of Madrid and is well served by public transport as well as tourist buses. Nowadays, Toledo […]
How to Get to Segovia from Madrid
Lying 90km north-west of Madrid, Segovia is the epitome of Old Castile. It is easily accessible from the capital and is one of the most popular day excursions. Although only a small town it has a remarkable number of outstanding architectural monuments most notable its 800m long Roman aqueduct which has stood here for around […]
How to Get to El Escorial from Madrid
The Royal Palace of El Escorial lies 45km north-west of Madrid and is one of Spain’s most famous sights. Felipe II ordered the construction of the palace to commemorate Spain’s victory over France at the Battle of Saint Quentin in 1557 during the Franco-Habsburg War. With practically unlimited funds available from the “New World” it […]
Atletico Madrid Football Club
Founded in 1903 by three Basque students at university in Madrid, Atlético Madrid were initially closely linked with Athletic Bilbao – even copying their blue and white striped shirts. It was in 1920 that the club became fully independent. By then, the playing strip had changed to its now famous red and white – and […]
Real Madrid Football Club
Initially, in 1897, a group of students and lecturers of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza, including several graduates from both Cambridge and Oxford, organised themselves into a team for football matches on Sunday mornings. During the following years this developed into several different clubs until in 1902 Madrid Football Club was officially formed. From the […]