With 6.5 million inhabitants metropolitan Madrid is the EU's third largest city.
The capital of Spain is the undisputed
economic, financial and cultural powerhouse of the Iberian Peninsula.
Madrid's history goes back to the 2d century BC when
the Romans set up a settlement with the name Matrice near the Manzanares River.
Under Morish rule Matrice became Mayrit,
and after the Christian conquest of 1085 the name of the city changed to Madrid.
When Philip II move his court
here he de-facto made it the capital of Spain.
Madrid's long and rich history has left the city center with
many historic buildings, notably the Royal Palace, squares like the Plaza Mayor and of course the famous Prado
museum.
The huge Buen Retiro Park provides the necessary green lungs for the sprawling city.
Madrid is home
to two top football teams that are almost as good as FC Barcelona.
We spent a few days in a sunny but blistering hot Madrid
in June 2016.