The Rafael Atocha is conveniently located for exploring the culture mile and well located for the Madrid metro. Together with its spacious facilities, this is an ideal base from which to explore the city. This hotel has an impressive collection of paintings hung throughout which marks the beginning of your immersion in art that ends in the nearby 'Culture Mile' with the El Prado Museum, the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía Art Centre.

Situated behind the Prado museum, it is the most popular and widely visited park in Madrid. The Retiro was originally built for the Spanish King Phillip IV and was opened to the general public in the 1800's. As a result of its regal patronage it has many beautiful buildings. One of the most beautiful is the 'Crystal Palace', which is made entirely of glass.

El Greco, named so because he was born in Crete, was one of the great masters of Spanish painting. In 1577 he moved to Spain where he finally settled in Toledo until his death in 1614. Toledo was the religious capital of Spain and El Greco's 'View of Toledo' is a landscape painting with a spiritual dimension.

The Prado Museum features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th -19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture, it also contains important collections of more than 5,000 drawings, 2,000 prints, 1,000 coins and medals, and almost 2,000 decorative objects and works of art.

Plaza Santa Ana is a great place to start an evening's entertainment in Madrid. It is a picturesque square situated in an older barrio of Madrid which is home to the oldest theatre in Madrid, Teatro Español, which was built in 1745 and puts on classical Spanish productions. At night the square becomes one of the most important hot spots for night time entertainment.