5 Days in Madrid with a car

One of the most incredible buildings I've ever been in - a royal palace, a monastery and a mausoleum, all tied together with a beautiful basilica.

There are so many different reasons why this is worth a visit I can't possibly list them all. Go. Go now. Enjoy yourself.

The Thyssen is one of the wonders of Madrid. It sits across the road from the infinitely more famous Prado, but contains an interesting and balanced collection. It's also a place you can walk around in a day, unlike the aforementioned Prado.

It puts me in mind of the Musee d'Orsay/Le Louvre situation in Paris. The smaller museums are easier to handle on smaller trips in both cases (although both the Prado and the Louvre are incredible repositories of art).

Anyway, the Thyssen contains a detailed history of European painting from the 11 century to the modern day, all of which was privately owned by Thyssen-Bornemisza family.

A strangely austere building inside, the modernist approach is evident from the two lifts (see the picture). It contains some great work by Miro, a room of Dali and the famous Picasso (Guernica and most of the sketch works he did to prepare for it).

My favorite thing in here though are the small sculptures, which are untrumpeted but more than worth the trip alone.

A gorgeous park in the middle of Madrid. During the hot summers, it's frequently full of people shading in the trees or renting pedalos and canoes for the lake in the middle. There are plenty of well tended gardens, swings and ice cream to make it all worthwhile.

Hugely busy in the summer, it's worth visiting for the statue in the middle and the great large scale fresco on the inner northern wall. It's closeto Plaza del Sol and the Palicio Real, as well as the writer's quarter which makes it a good reference point.

There's a large car park underneath to make it easier to get to, although if you're staying in the city you might as well get around on the Metro.

Very busy plaza filled with people and traffic. A great reference point which sits between the artist quarter and the larger buildings of Early Modern madrid.

There isn't much to see at the Puerta del Sol itself, it's more a commercial district surrounded by great little shops and at a central location.

The *best* churros I've ever had - a great place to eat, no matter what time of day (although it's especially popular in the early morning, as the partying is dying down circa 6am).