Rediscovering Madrid and Barcelona: Themed Tours Waiting to Be Discovered
How many versions of Madrid and Barcelona do you know? History, culture, leisure, nature; two of Spain’s most important cities, where you could never be bored. If you look beyond the world-famous sights, you’ll find some wonderful secrets. Take the plunge with these six themed tours of unknown Barcelona and Madrid.
Three secrets of Madrid
Fall in love with Madrid’s nightlife
Madrid offers plenty of options for nightowls. If you like a university crowd, the Princesa area has a wide range of tapas bars, music bars and nightclubs, playing every sound you can imagine. You can recall the 80s new wave atmosphere of the Madrid Movida in Malasaña. La Latina is popular for tapas during the day, and is equally festive at night, with lively bars, clubs and flamenco tablaos. We end in the Salamanca district, offering a more elegant evening atmosphere, where you can have dinner in a modern restaurant and then go on for drinks in a trendy bar with a more laid-back crowd.
Photo: Madrid
A trip to Egypt – it’s closer than you think
It may seem unlikely, but in the Spanish capital you can explore an authentic Egyptian temple. The Temple of Debod, just around the corner from Plaza de España, is over 2,000 years old and was a gift from the Egyptian government in thanks for help in the reconstruction of the Nubian temples, especially that of Abu Simbel. If you want to learn more about Ancient Egypt, head for the National Archaeological Museum (MAN) in Plaza de Colón to see sarcophagi, amulets, mummies, and many more curious items from Egyptian history.
Photo: National Archaeological Museum (MAN)
Wander around the Las Letras district from the Golden Age
Las Letras district was once the meeting place for the great writers, playwrights, poets and actors of the Spanish Golden Age. Cervantes, Quevedo, Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, Góngora and Calderón de la Barca; stroll along their streets to see literary quotes set into the pavement, iconic heritage sites, museums, sculptures, and more.
Three secrets of Barcelona
The essence of Roman Barcino
Come and explore ancient Barcino, a city with over two thousand years of history, founded in the era of Augustus Caesar. The must-sees are the columns of the temple of Augustus at 10 Carrer Paradís, built in honour of the Emperor and standing an impressive 12 metres tall; the Sea Gate and the Roman baths of the harbour, now inside the Pati Llimona Civic Centre; and the Roman cemetery on Plaça de la Vila de Madrid, a stretch of road used for burials in the 1st to 3rd centuries.
Photo: Columns of the temple of Augustus
The musical heart of Barcelona: El Raval
One of the city’s most iconic neighbourhoods, with unknown stories you can discover through music. In the Raval district different musical cultures (jazz, flamenco, rock, cuplé, etc.) mix to create its own unique style. Music is everywhere: from the Gran Teatre del Liceu to the most avant-garde music bars and music schools. Explore its streets and feel the palpable love for music!
The underground history of the city
See Barcelona from a totally new point of view, roaming underground to discover the hidden beauty of the city.
We’ll start with a visit to the Túnel de la Casa de l’Aigua, in theMuseum of the History of Barcelona (MUHBA), which stretches 300 metres between the neighbourhoods of Trinitat Vella and Trinitat Nova, and the underground area of Nou Barris. The next stop is Plaça del Diamant where you can descend into the Air-raid Shelter, one of the city’s largest at 12 metres deep. On the second Sunday of each month there is a guided tour in Castilian Spanish, and all other tours are in Catalan.
To end this tour of underground Barcelona we suggest a visit to the sewers of La Fàbrica del Sol, which is not available on rainy days for safety reasons.