Spanish Fiesta

Madrid, this year’s host city for the IBA Annual conference, has plenty to offer business travellers and tourists alike. Here, IBN presents the insider’s guide for those at the conference and a snapshot of the major attractions for those that stayed away…

Wining and Dining

One of the most acclaimed features for those who visit Madrid is its gastronomy. Ten restaurants in Madrid have been awarded the prestigious French Michelin stars. The renowned Spanish Chef Ferrá Adriá, head chef and owner of ‘El Bulli’ and considered to be the best chef in the world, is the technical advisor and creator of the dishes served in the Madrid Casino, venue of this year’s IBA Gala Dinner.

Furthermore, the oldest restaurant in the world is located in Madrid, just off Madrid’s Plaza Mayor. The restaurant Casa Botín was founded in 1725 and is mentioned in several novels by Frederick Forsyth, Graham Greene and even Ernest Hemingway: such as Death in the Afternoon and The Sun Also Rises.

In addition, no visit to Madrid is complete without tasting the famous Spanish tapas and pinchos, the small portions of food, often displayed on cafe counters. The districts of the Austrias, Malasaña and the areas surrounding the Plaza Mayor are the key spots for tapas and pinchos.

And last but not least, there is the opportunity to taste and buy more than 55 Spanish wines with the Official Guarantee of Regional Quality and Origin stamp ‘Denominaciones de Origen’. Drinking some of these wines is the best way of discovering that the ‘Rioja’ wines are just one of the many great Spanish wines.

Football and Bullfighting

When asked “what is the most popular attraction in Madrid?” most will answer, Real Madrid. The club has been based in the city for over 100 years, and the stadium, the Santiago Bernabeú, with a capacity to accommodate 80,354 spectators, is situated just inside the city centre. There are ample opportunities to witness the latest and most expensively constructed team of ‘Galacticos’ as they compete in the Spanish League at weekends and the Spanish Cup and Champions League mid-week.

Another popular Spanish spectacle is ‘los toros’ bullfighting at the ‘Las Ventas Bullring’, which seats 23,798 spectators and is hailed as ‘The Cathedral for Bullfighting’. The traditional Autumn Fair (Feria de Otoño), takes place there during the second week of October, with some of the greatest ‘toreros’ finishing off the bullfighting season in Spain.

Flamenco

The Conference Host Committee provided the opportunity for those in Madrid to see Sara Baras, one of the most incredible Flamenco Dancers. She is the most famous and popular Spanish dancer, touring the world with a dance company each year playing in the USA, Japan, Australia, Great Britain and many other countries. Madrid also has many other flamenco shows on offer for those who venture into one of the many small ‘tablaos’ to discover the true essence of Flamenco artistic flare.

Cultural capital

Madrid offers numerous cultural activities, including over 100 museums, numerous galleries, exhibitions, artistic areas and the Royal Palace. The celebrated ‘Barrio de las Artes’, located on one block in the heart of Madrid, hosts three of the most important art collections in Europe. At the Museo del Prado you can visit and admire the most complete collection of paintings from artists such as Velázquez, Goya, El Greco and Rubens and many others. The Museo Reina Sofia prides itself on exhibiting works of art produced from the 19th to the 21st century, by artists such as Piccasso, Dalí, Miró and Juan Gris. Finally, the Thyssen– Bornemisza museum exhibits two of the most important private collections in the world: Baron Thyssen’s collection and that of his wife. These comprise works dating from the gothic period to the contemporary period: Van Dyck, Rodin, Renoir, van Gogh, Kandinsky, Picasso, and Andy Warhol.

Near Madrid, are four Unesco World Heritage Sites. These are the sites of Alcalá de Henares (30km), Toledo (71km), and the Royal Palaces at El Escorial (50km) and Aranjuez (44km) to which high speed trains connect visitors to and from Madrid in about 30 minutes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IBN would like to extend particular thanks to Pablo Albert of Echecopar Abogados, Madrid.