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 Madrid became Spain's capital simply by virtue of its geographical position at the centre of Iberia. Felipe II moved the seat of government here in 1561, to symbolize the unification and centralization of the country. The site itself had few natural advantages – it's 300km from the sea on a high plateau, freezing in winter, boiling in summer – and only the determination of successive rulers to promote a strong central capital ensured Madrid's survival.

Today, Madrid is a vast modern city, with a population of four million. While the journey in isn't pretty, the streets at its heart are a pleasant surprise, with pockets of medieval buildings and narrow, atmospheric alleys, dotted with the oddest of shops and bars, and interspersed with eighteenth-century Bourbon squares. There may be few sights of great architectural interest, but the monarchs did acquire outstanding picture collections, which formed the basis of the Prado museum. Thanks also to the Reina Sofía and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums, Madrid is a top port of call on the European art tour.

It's the lifestyle of the inhabitants – the madrileños – that's the capital's key attraction: hanging out in traditional cafés or summer terrazas, packing the lanes of the Sunday Rastro flea market or playing hard and very late in a thousand bars, clubs, discos and tascas.

Madrid's main sights occupy a compact area between the Palacio Real and the gardens of El Retiro. The great museums are ranged along the Paseo del Prado, over towards the Retiro. The oldest part of the city, known as Madrid de los Austrias, centres on the gorgeous, arcaded Plaza Mayor, just east of the Palacio Real.

However, monuments are not really what Madrid is about. To get a feel for the city you need to branch out a little, and experience the contrasting character of the various barrios. The most central and rewarding are the areas around Plaza de Santa Ana and c/Huertas, east of Puerta del Sol; La Latina and Lavapiés, south of Plaza Mayor, where the Sunday market, El Rastro, takes place; and Malasaña and Chueca, north of Gran Vía.

Highlights

1 Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales A fascinating hoard of art treasures hidden away in a convent in the centre of Madrid.

2 Palacio Real Over-the-top opulence in this grandiose former residence of the Spanish monarchs.

3 El Rastro Take a Sunday stroll from Plaza Mayor through Madrid's shambolic flea market.

4 A visit to the Prado The Goya, Velázquez and Bosch collections alone make the trip to one of the world's greatest art museums worthwhile.

5 Guernica See this icon of twentieth-century art set in context at the Reina Sofía.

6 Real Madrid Watch Real's dazzling array of big-name players parade their footballing skills at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.

El Rastro

Address: Ribera de Curtidores and surrounding streets

Opening time: Sun 10am–3pm – and often on Fridays, Saturdays and public hols

Madrid's flea market, El Rastro, is as much a part of the city's weekend ritual as a Mass or a paseo. This gargantuan, thriving shambles of a street market sprawls south from Metro Latina to the Ronda de Toledo, especially along Ribera de Curtidores. On offer is just about anything you might – or more likely might not – need, from secondhand clothes and military-surplus items to caged birds and antiques.

Some of the goods – broken telephone dials, plastic shampoo bottles half-full of something that may or may not be the original contents – are so far gone that you can't imagine any of them ever selling. Other items may be quite valuable, but on the whole it's the stuff of markets around the world you'll find here: pseudo-designer clothes, bags and T-shirts. Don't expect to find fabulous bargains, or the hidden Old Masters of popular myth; the serious antique trade has mostly moved off the streets and into the surrounding shops, while the real junk is now found only on the fringes. Nonetheless, the atmosphere of the Rastro is always enjoyable, and the bars around these streets are as good as any in the city. One warning: keep a close eye on your bags, pockets, cameras (best left at the hotel) and jewellery. The Rastro rings up a fair percentage of Madrid's tourist thefts.

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