Madrid or Barcelona: where to live?

People who go to Spain usually face the question: which city to choose – Madrid or Barcelona? Each of the two famous tourist destinations claims to be the leader and compete for decades. Of course, under certain circumstances you can manage to visit both cities, but you should know that Madrid and Barcelona are two cities, absolutely different in pace of life and temperament.

Discover the attractions and entertainments

All the admirers of history and architecture think that Madrid can hardly compare to the beautiful the capital of Catalonia in the number of architectural and historical monuments. It is a very harmonious city, where the building of different styles and periods exists side by side. In Barcelona you can visit:

• Cathedral – the archbishop’s residence;
• Saint Agatha’s Tower;
• Gothic fountain;
• Palace complex.

Those who are interested in history, art and architecture will appreciate a huge number of museums, the most important of which is the Picasso Museum. Going to Barcelona, you should know that the Old City is perfect for the walks, as its streets are narrow, and the transport network is developed mostly in the modern areas.

Unlike peaceful Barcelona, Madrid is characterized by the brightness of national temperament. It also has a lot of attractions, such as: the square “Puerta del Sol”, “Palacio Real” (Royal Palace) and Cathedral, and in the square “Plaza Mayor” you can plunge into the atmosphere of medieval fairs and see the places where the bullfight and public executions took place.

Going shopping

Madrid is the best place for expensive and exclusive shopping. The quality of clothes and shoes in this city is just a bit lower than that in Milan and Paris. During the season of great discounts, numerous fashionmongers flood the area of Salamanca, where the most famous boutiques, jewellery shops and antique stores are located.

In Barcelona, beautiful and expensive exclusive clothes can be bought on the Gracia Boulevard. The tourists bring famous national edible souvenirs from the capital of Catalonia – olive oil, ham and Spanish wine.

For gourmets

If you ask most Spanish chefs, working in the famous European restaurants, where they started their professional career, the answer will be- in Madrid. This is the city of gourmets who can subtly feel the taste of exquisite dishes. Here you can try the famous paella, cold tomato soup, lamb and octopus.

The cuisine of Barcelona is represented by the broad range of seafood dishes. Catalans themselves usually don’t eat pork, but they make great smoked meat in all restaurants. The specialty for gourmets is “black rice”, served with seafood and meat.