Philip II made Madrid the capital of Spain in 1562. Nowadays it's one of Europe's finest capital cities. It's located right in the centre of Spain, in the geographic centre of the Iberian Peninsula.

Because of its central location and high altitude, the climate of Madrid is characterized by warm dry summers and cold winters.

Madrid has some fascinating historic monuments. Among its highlights are the Medieval Centre, which dates as far back as the Habsburg Empire and the Prado Museum which was built in 1785.

Madrid isn't just a cultural destination. It is also a vibrant, youthful metropolis full of bars, restaurants, pubs, cafes, cinemas, parks, discos and nightclubs. It never stops. Most of the bars and clubs stay open very late into the night. A lot of people consider Madrid to be the "nightlife capital of Europe".

You might even find yourself stuck in a traffic jam at five in the morning. Madrileños are permanently on the move. Like most Spaniards, they prefer to change from bar to bar all throughout the night.