Madrid. What To See.

Museo del Prado. Few visitors to Madrid would want to miss out on a visit to one of the art world's holy grails. Lovers of Spanish art will particularly enjoy the coverage given to the big three - VelÁzquez, Goya and El Greco. Minor Spanish artists such as de Ribera and Murillo are also represented, along with a fair sprinkling of Flemish and Italian masters. Of course, with a museum this size you really should visit more than once, particularly as fewer than half of the collection is ever on view at any given time.

Don't miss Madrid's other two art fests, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía collections, representing (respectively) European and modern Spanish movements. The Reina Sofía collection is dominated by Picasso's masterly Guernica

Habsburg Madrid. The imperial legacy of Habsburgs Carlos I, Felipe II and their successors can best be seen in the area surrounding the Puerta del Sol (Sun Gate), Madrid's official central point. A short stroll west lies Plaza Mayor, a popular stage over the centuries for royal festivities, autos-de-fe and bullfights, and today thronged with open-air cafes. The Baroque Basilica de San Isidro, away to the south, is home to the remains of the city's patron saint. West of the plaza is the 17th-century Ayuntamiento (town hall), a typical Habsburg structure of granite and slate spires.

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Palacio Real. This Italianate Baroque colossus of some 2800 rooms was begun by Felipe V following the destruction by fire of its forerunner, the AlcAzar, in 1734. Around 50 rooms are open to visitors. The first rooms are taken up by the Farmacia Real, a seemingly endless parade of medicine jars, and the Armeria Real, a shiny collection of Habsburg weapons and armour. A grand stairway leads to the royal apartments, culminating in the Throne Room's giddy concoction of crimson walls and Tiepolo ceilings. Just to the south of the palace is the Moorish quarter, one of Madrid's oldest districts. There's a short stretch of city wall here, built by the early-medieval Muslim rulers in the 9th century. In summer the area is a venue for open-air theatre and music performances