Life in Madrid is lived in the crowded streets and in the noisy cafés, where talking, toasting, and tapa-tasting last long into the night. Many find the city’s endless energy hard to resist, and its social lifestyle makes it especially easy for travelers to get involved.

The skyline has its share of skyscrapers, but these are far outnumbered by the more typical Madrid towers of red brick crowned by gray slate roofs and spires. Built in the 16th and 17th centuries, this architecture gives parts of Madrid a timeless, old world feel. Monumental neoclassical structures, like the Prado Museum, the Royal Palace, and the Puerta de Alcalá Arch make up Madrid’s other historic face. Most of these were built in the 18th century.

Madrid’s sophistication stands in vivid contrast to the ancient ways of the historic villages nearby. Less than an hour away from the downtown skyscrapers are villages where farm fields are still plowed by mules. Getaways to the dozens of Castilian hamlets nearby and to Toledo, El Escorial, and Segovia are cherished by both locals and travelers.