Spain's capital city since 1561, Madrid is now its bustling heart, in the geographic center of the Iberian peninsula, and home to over three million souls. Cradle of Spain's social and cultural renaissance, the movída in the first decade of democracy after Franco's death in 1975, Madrid boasts some of the country's best museums, most beloved fútbol (soccer) clubs, vivacious nightlife, and over 40 parks and gardens. Around Plaza Mayor, a maze of streets reflects the city's 16th-century origins. Elsewhere in the city, the neoclassical merges with the modern, reflecting Madrid's youth and success as Spain's manufacturing, electronics, publishing, and financial hub. The terrorist attacks of March 11, 2004, in which 191 were killed and over 1,800 injured, have not dampened the spirit of the Madrileños. An old proverb speaks of the perpetual fondness Madrileños feel for their city: "From Madrid to heaven, and in heaven a little window from which to see it."

Jump into Madrid from Es Madrid, the city council's web portal that provides a comprehensive and hip overview of all Madrid has to offer. It's sophisticated, up-to-date, and lists tons of tourist services, must-see sights, special events, restaurant and hotel listings, and handy practical stuff like weather forecasts, maps, and metro info. Plus, it's in Spanish, English, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian.

While we try to list only websites that are in English, some, unfortunately, are not. If your Spanish is a little rusty, use Google's advanced language tool that enables you to drop in a site's URL and it'll translate the entire page.