Madrid/Salamanca

Salamanca is a district of Madrid. It is located northeast of the centre and is considered to be the poshest neighbourhood of the city. Branches of international luxury brands, upscale restaurants, nightlife venues and hotels are found here. This article also includes points of interest in districts further east that are little frequented by travellers.

Cercanías (suburban rail) station 🌍 Recoletos is located near Plaza de Colón on the southwestern edge of this district. It is served by lines C1, C2, C7, C8 and C10 as well as some regional trains.

Metro stations in Salamanca are Colón, Serrano, Velázquez (all served by line 4), Goya (lines 2, 4), Retiro (2), Príncipe de Vergara (2, 9), Núñez de Balboa (5, 9), Diego de León (4, 5, 6), Lista (4), Manuel Bercerra (2, 6), Ventas (2, 5), O'Donnell (6), Avenida de América (4, 6, 7, 9), Cartagena and Parque de las Avenidas (both served by line 7).

Dama de Elche: Iberian (pre-Roman) fertility goddess statue

• 🌍 Museo Lázaro Galdiano (Museum of Lázaro Galdiano), C/ Serrano, 122 (Gregorio Mariñon  7  10 ), ☏ +34 915 616 084. Tu-Sa 10:00-16:30, Su 10:00-15:00; closed Jan 1, Easter Th and F, May 2 and 3, Nov 1, Dec 6 and 25. This museum houses the stunning collection of Spanish entrepreneur José Lázaro Galdiano (1862-1947) and is considered to be one of the best private collections in Spain. Not only will you find works by Goya, Velázquez, El Greco and others - the museum is also filled with jewelry, furniture, sculpture and ceramics. It is located in Lázaro Galdiano's rather lavish former residence. This is an excellent museum that is usually not crowded and well worth the price of admission. €6 (adults), €3 (seniors/students/disabled), free (children under 12); free admission Tu-Sa 15:30-16:30 and Su 14:00-15:00. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Museo Arqueológico Nacional (National Archeology Museum), C/ Serrano, 13 (Serrano  4 ), ☏ +34 915 777 912, sugerencias.man@mecd.es. Tu-Sa 09:30-20:00, Su and holidays 09:30-15:00. Don't let the sound of it frighten you. This large, well-designed museum opened again in April 2014 after several years of renovation works. It houses an incredible collection of archaeological finds from across the peninsula. It leaves the visitor with a sense of the chronology of civilization in Spain (Iberian, Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Visigoth, Arab, and into the modern age). The famous Dama de Elche, an Iberian (pre-Roman) goddess statue, is in this museum. There are also a few pieces from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. €3 (adults), €1.50 (concessions); free on Sa after 14:30, Su mornings, and national holidays. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Fundación Juan March (Juan March Institute), C/ Castelló, 77 (Núñez de Balboa  5  9 ), ☏ +34 914 354 240. M-F 11:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-14:00. A few blocks off high-end shopping street Calle Serrano, this private foundation houses free temporary exhibitions of (mostly 20th-century) art which are often worth checking out. 10-15 min walk from either Museo Lázaro Galdiano or National Archaeology Museum. Free. 

El Capricho garden

• 🌍 Parque de El Capricho (El Capricho  5 ). Oct-Mar: Sa Su and holidays 09:00-18:30 (last admission at 18:00); Apr-Sep: Sa Su and holidays 09:00-21:00 (last admission at 20:30). One of the most beautiful parks in Madrid. Built in 1797-1839, it has a strong Romanticism influence. Declared as an Historic Garden, its lakes with swans and ducks, labyrinths, palaces, squares and fountains makes this a lovely place. (updated Feb 2017)

Facade of Las Ventas bullring

• 🌍 Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas (Las Ventas / Las Ventas Bullring) (Metro: Ventas). Arguably the most important bullfighting site in Spain. Unless you find this spectacle distasteful, this is a must see if you visit Madrid during the bullfighting season (May, during San Isidro). Tickets may nevertheless be expensive and hard to get for the more important corridas. Anyway, it usually is used as a venue for shows and concerts. 

• 🌍 LAE Madrid Spanish Language School (La Aventura Española), C/ de Montesa, 35, 2º dcha, ☏ +34 912 196 991, info@laemadrid.com. Accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, the school offers fun Spanish courses in reduced group sizes (maximum 6 people). Learn Spanish while enjoying Madrid. (updated Feb 2017)
• 🌍 Velazquez Español para Extranjeros, C/ Núñez de Balboa, 17, bajo derecha, ☏ +34 915 779 122, cluque@velazquezschool.com. Teaches Spanish to international students. Accredited by the Instituto Cervantes. 
• 🌍 AIL Madrid, C/ O'Donnell 27, 1º, ☏ +34 914 354 801, info@ailmadrid.com. An Instituto Cervantes - accredited language school that offers a wide range of Spanish classes for adult students of all ages. There are 16 different Spanish courses along with extra free 10 hours/week and 2 hours/day of cultural activities. The average class size is six persons. (updated Feb 2017)