Apartment for rent in the centre of Madrid

The accommodation

50 sq metres apartment located in the historical and romantic area of Madrid de Los Austrias, one of Madrid's most desirable neighbourhoods, very close to the Royal Palace, Opera theatre, Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol, the real heart of the city. It is surrounded by historical buildings, restaurants, traditional tapas bars, shops and parks. Ideal for business executives and visits to Madrid. The apartment is on the 5th floor of a building with two elevators and a door man, central heating. Fully furnished with TV, a bedroom with double bed, and a living room with 1 person sofa bed. American kitchen with refrigerator, stove, microwave, washing machine. Full equipped bathroom. Internet and phone with free local calls. The transportation connections are perfect with the metro and bus just a few metres away from the apartment. There are plenty of restaurants and shops in the surrounding streets. The closer metro stations are Latina (line 5), Opera (line 2), Tirso de Molina (line 1) and Plaza de España (lines 10, 2 and 3)

Setting

La latina

The Latina area is an attractive and often ignored part of old Madrid. In and around this area are the origins of Madrid. Its difficult to put precise boundaries on La Latina, because, like its immediate neighbours, streets are narrow and wind a lot, but for convenience, we will define its boundaries as the calles Bailen and Toledo, the Plaza Mayor and the Puetra de Toledo. Apart from being one of the most attractive parts of the city to wander about in, it is home to many particularly fine tapas bars, restaurants, and many spots for nightlife and social life centered in the plazas de San Andres, de la Cebada and de la Paja.

From San Francisco el Grande church, go up Carrera de San Francisco street. At the plaza de San Andrés, dominated by the dome of the Capilla de San Isidro, is the San Isidro Museum which shows the different of Madrid through the ages, from its beginnings as a Muslim stronghold to its birth as a metropolis. San Isidro Museum provides an account of Madrid´s archaeological past and the material, social and spiritual heritage of the various cultures that have lived here. It also contains an exhibition of the art and traditions associated with the patron saint of Madrid, Saint Isidro.
The street Cava Baja nearby has excellent restaurants, among which the reknown Lucio, and fashionable bars.
At the Plaza de la Cebada is the local covered market originally made of iron and glass, it was demolished in 1956 and rebuilt as we can see today. Look out for the calle Almendro and the famous tavern with the same name.
Not far is the Plaza de Cascorro, heart of the popular Sunday street market, or Rastro.plaza de la paja madrid

Plaza de la Paja
Here the visitor will be reminded that while the Plaza Mayor was once a small dusty square on the edge of town, the Plaza de la Paja (Hay) was were the real city centre lay. Its name derives from the fact that it served as the auctioning centre for hay being resold by the caretakers and foremen of convent lands, who thus paid their use of lands with a tithe, for the privilege of using church lands.
It is a quiet atmospheric place with cafés and terraces.
The walled garden of the Prince of Anglona is located next to the like-named palacio. It is a haven of tranquil repose from which to observe the goings-on in the Plaza de la Paja.
From this square one can seen the Mudejar-style tower of the church of San Pedro El Viejo (the Elder), from the 14th century. Besides the artistic and religious interest it inspires, there is a legend surrounding the church: it says that the first bell to ring from the tower bellfry raised and hung itself up in the tower unaided. The story tells that when it was hoisted on many backs and the attempt was made to bring it up, it got stuck among the tower walls. The workers gave up and went to take a break from their labour; when they returned the next day, to their great surprise, the belll was already hanging in its designated place.

The charming plaza del Alamillo (small poplar tree) is not far. It is where the seat of the Arab court was thought to have stood, in the days when Madrid was Mayrit, the Arab city founded in the 9th century. There is a mexican restaurant on the corner with a priviledge terrace during the good weather days.