Flights from Podgorica to Madrid: Passion in the Royal City
PASSION IN THE ROYAL CITY
TRAVEL TO MADRID
Head to the heart of Spain and discover a city known for its grand plazas, famous as the home of kings, a city that never sleeps, a city that doesn’t rest on Sundays but cheers its toreros with all its heart, a city that produced Salvador Dalí and captivated Ernest Hemingway! Travel to Madrid!
TRAVEL TO MADRID
Madrid, “only” a thousand years old, was founded in the 9th century. Once a small town in the heart of the Meseta plateau, it became the royal capital in the 16th century. Today Madrid is one of Europe’s largest cities, full of energy and alive 24 hours a day…
It is graced by many plazas. The best known are Plaza de España, with its monument to Miguel de Cervantes and his heroes Don Quixote and Sancho Panza; Plaza Mayor, the city’s main square, lined with imposing Classicist buildings; and Puerta del Sol, the “Gate of the Sun,” the city’s main transport hub and the spot from which all distances in Spain are measured, the famous Spanish “Kilometer Zero”…
Museum lovers will be in their element in the so-called Golden Triangle of Art on the Paseo del Prado. Between Plaza de Cibeles and the botanical garden stands the Prado Museum, one of the most famous museums in the world, home to the royal collection of paintings founded by the first Habsburg rulers, Charles V and Philip II. Nearby you can visit the Villahermosa Palace, home of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and for fans of Picasso and Dalí there is the Reina Sofía Museum…
A true green oasis, Buen Retiro Park hides the beautiful Velázquez Palace and the Crystal Palace, nestled beside a lovely lake…
Madrid is also a must for fans of Real Madrid, the most decorated club in football. Visit their Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, and if you are lucky enough to catch a match that Real wins, you can join the celebrations at the Cibeles Fountain…
A flamenco show is a special experience wherever you see it, and especially here in Madrid!
Another thing that makes this city unique is the corrida! Bullfighting is a bloody, passionate spectacle and one of the symbols of Spain, and Madrid’s bullring is the third largest in the world (after those in Mexico and Venezuela).
Around Madrid there are ranches that breed special (black) bulls for bullfighting. The large ones are raised for experienced toreadors, while the smaller, younger ones, known as novilladas, are used for training young fighters who have yet to make their name. That is how a star was born a few years ago… Young Jesús Mejías killed his first bull at the age of 14, and whenever this young toreador performs, the arena is packed! Before entering the ring, the bull spends 24 hours in complete darkness so that, when it comes out into the light, the color red will provoke it, which is why the capes (mantas) are red. The picadors (picar = to pierce), on horseback or on foot, first drive lances into the bull’s back and neck to provoke it and also to make it lose blood, which adds to the brutality of the spectacle. The toreador’s job is to provoke the bull and dodge its horns with elegant body movements, ideally without stepping aside. This dance goes on for some time while the crowd shouts “Olé!”, urging the toreador to get as close to the horns as possible, until at one moment he pierces the bull’s heart. The most skillful toreadors do it with a single thrust. The toreador thus becomes a matador (matar = to kill). If he has been successful, the matador is awarded the bull’s ear as a keepsake.
Given the brutality of these fights, animal rights groups are trying to put an end to bullfighting, and they have succeeded in Catalonia and the Canary Islands. If you would like to witness this spectacle, the best time to visit Madrid is in May and June, during the San Isidro festival (you can find more information at http://www.gomadrid.com/activity/madrid-bullfights.html ).
Madrid’s bullring is located at Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas. The arena has five large gates, the largest of which is the “Puerta Grande.” The “Paso doble,” the most mournful tune of the Spanish trumpets, opens this modern gladiatorial fight to the death between man and beast. Tickets range from 10 euros for novice toreadors all the way up to 200 euros, when passionate fans come to watch famous toreadors and the most dangerous bulls! A fight between seasoned toreadors and powerful black bulls is truly a spectacle worth seeing!
FLIGHTS PODGORICA – MADRID
A Podgorica – Madrid flight can be booked for around 170 euros. Podgorica – Madrid flights involve a connection, as there are no direct flights from Podgorica… Podgorica – Madrid tickets are available from various airlines, with Alitalia and Lufthansa offering the best connections, with just one stopover and short layovers.
Madrid’s airport, Barajas, is Spain’s largest international airport. Around 40 million passengers pass through it every year, making it the sixth-busiest airport in Europe. It is 9 km from Madrid. The easiest way to get from the airport to the city center is by metro. There are two metro stations: Aeropuerto T1-T2-T3 and Aeropuerto T4. If you land at T1, it takes about 10 minutes on foot to reach the metro station (on Line 8), which is located beneath Terminal T2. Line 8 takes you to Nuevos Ministerios station, where you can easily transfer to other lines, such as Line 1, which will take you to Puerta del Sol. Línea Exprés buses stop at Terminals 1, 2 and 4.
¡Viva España!
