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.
Get in
Map of Madrid/Salamanca
Cercanías (suburban rail) station 1 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).
See
- 1 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.
- 2 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.
- 3 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.
- 4 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.
Do
_03.jpg)
- 1 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.
Learn
- 1 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.
- 2 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.
- 3 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.
Buy
_01.jpg)
Department stores
Boutiques
- Calle Serrano
- 3 Adolfo Domínguez, Calle Serrano 5, ☏ +34 914 362600. M-Sa 10:00-21:00, Su 12:00-20:00. Flagship store of the Spanish fashion designer. Another branch is in Calle Serrano 96.
- 4 Carolina Herrera, Calle de Serrano, 16.
- 5 Versace, Calle de Serrano, 16.
- 6 Prada, Calle de Serrano, 26.
- 7 Purificación García, Serrano, 28, ☏ +34 914 35 80 13.
- 8 Hugo Boss Store, Calle Serrano 28. M-Sa 10:00-21:00, Su 12:00-20:00.
- 9 Saint Laurent, Calle Serrano, 34.
- 10 Casa Loewe Madrid, Serrano, 34. Flagship store of one of the world's oldest luxury fashion brands, founded back in the middle of the 19th century in Madrid.
- 11 Loewe Flores, Goya, 4. Another branch, just around the corner.
- 12 Ermenegildo Zegna, Calle de Serrano, 21.
- 13 Emporio Armani, Calle de Serrano, 44.
- 14 Roberto Verino, Calle de Serrano, 33.
- 15 Manolo Blahnik, Calle de Serrano, 58.
- 16 Louis Vuitton, Calle de Serrano, 66.
- 17 Cartier, Calle de Serrano, 74.
- 18 Joyería Suarez, C/Serrano 63, ☏ +34 91 781 99 40, controller.s63@joyeriasuarez.com. M-Sa 10:15-20:30. Jewellery
- Calle de José Ortega y Gasset
- 19 Christian Dior, Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 6.
- 20 Tiffany & Co., Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 10, ☏ +34 91 781 85 55. M-Sa 10:30-20:30. Exclusive silver jewellery
- 21 Hermès, Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 12.
- 22 Dolce&Gabbana, Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 14.
- 23 Chanel, Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 16.
Eat
Mid-range
- 1 La Casa del Abuelo 3, C/ Goya, 57, ☏ +34 910 000 133. Su-Th 12:00-24:00, F Sa 12:00-01:00. A third branch of the popular establishment.
- 2 Estay Restaurante, Calle de Hermosilla, 46 (Metro: Velázquez), ☏ +34 915 780 470, info@estayrestaurante.com. M-F 08:00-24:00, Sa 09:00-01:00. A great place for tapas, they offer a large menu, reasonable prices and excellent quality food. The solomillo al foie is excellent and the desserts come highly-recommended as well. Very crowded on Friday and Saturday nights.
- 3 Bar Jaén III, Calle de Poitiers, 3 (Metro: Coslada Estadio Olimpico), ☏ +34 630 036 987. M-Th 12:30-02:00, F Sa 11:30-03:00, Su 11:30-02:00. An excellent tapas bar and restaurant. A nice place to enjoy Spanish food and lifestyle without spending too much. Located in a business park in the far-east of the city, it's far from being a tourist trap and you can enjoy good food and true raciónes (portions). The pleasant owners are very willing to share stories about Madrid and Spain more generally. In summer time it has a superb terrace, within a stone's throw of the Olympic Stadium.
Splurge
- 4 La Trainera, C/ Lagasca, 60 (Metro: Velázquez or Serrano), ☏ +34 915 768 035, +34 915 750 631, info@latrainera.es. M-Sa 13:00-16:00 20:00-24:00; closed the month of Aug. A Madrid institution for decades, Trainera is an excellent but somewhat pricey restaurant serving strictly seafood dishes. They have a great wine selection and the waiters can recommend different vintages that will complement the food. Try the carabineros (giant scarlet shrimp) or the rodaballo (turbot).
Drink
Sleep
Mid-range
- 1 Osuna, C/ Luis De La Mata, 18 (Metro 5 Canillejas), ☏ +34 917 418 100, info@hotelosuna.es. A bit outlying, some 20 minutes metro ride to the central districts.
Splurge
- 2 Gran Hotel Velazquez, C/ Velázquez, 62, ☏ +34 915 752 800, info@hotelvelazquez.es. The Gran Hotel Velázquez is a 4 star hotel located in the Salamanca district. This hotel has been providing stylish accommodation for over 50 years.
- 3 Gran Meliá Fénix, C/ Hermosilla, 2, ☏ +34 912 764 747. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Distinguished by a grand and glowing white exterior; bathed in neo-classical design; an illustrious interior of flowing banisters, bold colors, and noble décor. €162+.
- 4 Hotel Villa Magna, Paseo de la Castellana 22, ☏ +34 91 5871234. A 5-star hotel on one of Madrid's most exclusive streets. 151 rooms and suites. The hotel is surrounded by landscaped gardens.
Connect
| Routes through Salamanca |
| Moncloa ← Northern Suburbs ← | anticlockwise  clockwise |
→ Retiro → Arganzuela |