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The Draw
• Opulent palaces, grand boulevards, elegant gardens and a feisty, fun-loving local spirit
• Heavyweight museums that just got heavier: All three major art museums have just expanded dramatically, and finally have the space to hang world-class pieces formerly in hiding
• An infusion of style: ambitious cuisine, design-forward hotels and newly hip neighborhoods, buzzing with life
The Scene
Madrid has always been a first-rate destination for culture vultures and nocturnal revelers, a burst of life, color and bustle in the midst of the Spanish plains. The explosion of design hotels over the past few years includes what is perhaps the most ambitiously designed hotel in recent creation, the Puerta America, where 18 of the world's top architects and designers put their stamp on lobbies, rooms and entire floors. The influence of experimental culinary superstar Ferran Adrià has taken a city most famous for its savory tapas to the peak of haute cuisine. Meanwhile, the city has finally witnessed the long-awaited restoration of several treasures of yore: After a 17-year restoration of the Teatro Real, opera is being sung again on its stages, which has not happened since 1925. And the city keeps moving -- Barajas airport has received an ingenious architectural update, and one of the world's fastest railways links the city to Barcelona in just two-and-a-half hours.
To Be Seen
• Old Madrid. Here you'll find Plaza Mayor, the hub of Madrid since 1617, which remains a vibrant center of social activity, filled with traditional taverns and bars.
• Bourbon Madrid. An idyllic area of grand plazas and lush parks, from the Parque del Buen Retiro to the botanical garden. This district is also home to many of the city's major museums, including the newly expanded Prado.
• Salamanca District. The center of luxury life in Madrid, this affluent neighborhood features elegant residences and high-end shopping.
For The VIP
• Dinner at La Broche. Former chef and Adrià disciple Sergi Arola snagged two Michelin stars for his careful culinary constructions -- part science, part artwork. There's a reason this is the most talked-about restaurant in town.
• Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is a mecca for soccer fans wanting to watch Real Madrid turn the game into an art form. More intrepid viewers should consider an afternoon at the world's proving ground for great matadors, the Plaza Monumental de Toros de las Ventas.
• Catch an opera from a box seat at the breathtakingly opulent and newly restored Teatro Real. Or head straight to the heart of the city's thriving flamenco scene, the backroom of Casa Patas, to find the queen of nuevo flamenco, Sara Baras.
Overrated
Serrano and Velazquez streets are great for luxury shopping, but not the most interesting parts of the city to explore for those who want a taste of the real Madrid.
Underrated
Lavapiés. Only recently rescued from decay, this former medieval working-class quarter has become a hip stretch of bars and galleries, with several lanes converted into pedestrian thoroughfares.
Don't Miss
The "golden circle" of art, which includes the city's top three museums, all of which have undergone costly expansions. In 2006, the Prado unveiled its new campus, while Reina Sofia inaugurated a $100 million expansion. And back in 2004, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza dedicated a new building to house more than 200 works loaned by the Baroness Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza.
When To Go
Spring and fall have the mildest weather. But because of the altitude, summer's occasionally intense heat is very dry.
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