Hello friends. I spent a weekend wandering around Madrid to see what could be done here and wanted to share it with you. It was a peaceful day full of surprises. I browsed a market set among old trains, spent a lot of time thinking over contemporary art, took a walk and caught my breath by the river, stumbled upon street parades and was deeply moved by the exhibitions. Once again, Madrid was inspiring. I'm so glad I came.
My first stop was the market called Mercado de Motores, set up inside the Madrid Railway Museum. It’s a unique place where a museum and a market come together. The market area features local products, second-hand items and various specialties. The food section stood out in particular.
In the museum part, steam, diesel and electric trains from different eras are displayed. There are even examples of high-speed trains that were used until the mid-20th century. You can also see other vehicles used on tracks, models and various transport equipment. Normally, the museum charges an entrance fee, but it’s free on market days. The venue is located in the old Delicias Station, built in 1880. There’s still an active rail line here and from it departs a themed train ride called the Strawberry Train.
My second stop was Matadero, the old slaughterhouse. This huge complex, once used for processing livestock, has now become a multifunctional space dedicated to contemporary arts. It includes a design center, a film archive, contemporary art exhibition spaces, a library and even an immersive show about the Titanic. Eva Fabregas's installation called Breathing Wounds was particularly striking. It reflected the architecture of a cold storage facility through organic forms. It was both captivating and a bit eerie.
Walking along the park that stretches by the Manzanares River, which passes near the city center, was also very enjoyable. You can walk all the way to the Arganzuela Bridge from here. The weekend energy in Madrid feels quite different. On the main street, I came across two parades at the same time. One was a group of motorcyclists and the other was the Immortal Regiment march. I was lucky to witness such an event right in the city center. I think the respect shown to such events deserves recognition.
After that, I stopped by the Maria Cristina Masaveu Peterson Art Foundation. This place is also free to visit. The collection was lovely. It features works by Spanish artists from the 20th century. There were pieces by many important names such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Jaume Plensa, María Blanchard and Salvador Dalí. The foundation building also had a pleasant atmosphere with its blend of historical architecture and modern design.
Another place filled with art was the Mapfre Foundation. Founded by Spain’s oldest insurance company, Mapfre, this foundation is celebrating both its 50th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the Surrealist art movement. I happened to catch the final day of the exhibition called The Other Surrealists. Alongside familiar names like Dalí, Picasso and Magritte, there were works by lesser-known surrealists. The pieces by Oscar Domínguez, who was born in Tenerife, especially stood out. The exhibition included works brought from the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and museums in Tenerife. There was a wide variety of works.
The same foundation also hosted an exhibition by Japanese photographer Sakiko Kakunoura. Her minimalist and thoughtful style was quite striking. I especially liked the photo book called Night Flight. It had a calming atmosphere.
Then I walked along Paseo del Prado and reached Gran Vía, known as the Broadway of Madrid. Inside the Telefónica building, there were two wonderful exhibitions. The first was an installation called Echo of the Oceans, based on sound and visuals. Humpback whale communication was recorded for the first time in 1970. Today, these sounds have been turned into visual forms. There was also another exhibition featuring glass figures representing the life cycle of plankton. Learning that half of our every breath depends on plankton was fascinating.
The second exhibition featured Catalan artist Jaume Plensa. This was his first exhibition in Madrid in the past 20 years. Fifteen different works were displayed. His self-portrait called 72 kg, giant wireframe heads, a wooden installation called Silence and works like Freud's Children and Secret Heart were especially emotional and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed the exhibition. The Telefónica building itself is a great example of Art Deco and the interior, the stairs and overall architecture are quite impressive.
A weekend in Madrid wouldn’t be complete without food. For dinner, I chose an Indian restaurant called Benares, which was listed in the 2025 Michelin Guide. It was quite a satisfying dining experience. I started with a pea purée, mint broth and lentil crisps, followed by alu tikka and tandoor-smoked cauliflower. The main dish was butter chicken with rice, potatoes and lentil curry on the side. For dessert, they served a coconut bun and rose petal ice cream. The wine, of course, was from Spain. Although India does produce wine, its exports are quite limited.
I was more than happy with my day in Madrid. If you ever visit this city, I highly recommend checking out places like these after seeing the classic tourist spots. I hope you enjoyed this little trip with me. See you on the next journey.
