Beach or culture, tradition or modern Spain: at first glance, the two Spanish metropolises Madrid and Barcelona do not seem to have much in common. Except that they both offer plenty of activities for a trip. You can find out where you are best off by comparing Madrid vs. Barcelona.
Sightseeing
Culture, culture, culture you will have plenty of in both cities. While in Madrid you can admire the best collection of Spanish painters in the Prado or the Reina Sofía Museum, Barcelona shines above all with its architecture: you should not miss Park Güell or the Sagrada Familia.
You can walk for hours on Madrid's Gran Vía as well as on La Rambla, the counterpart in Barcelona. Around both cities you will find a variety of bars and restaurants that are full of culinary delights.
While in Madrid, the Puerta del Sol is the perfect meeting point and starting point for all activities, in Barcelona it is the Plaza Espanya. But only Madrid can offer the Palacio Real, the royal palace with adjacent gardens. The park is, as also the Retiro Park, an oasis in the big city. In Barcelona I miss something similar for picknicking, boating and sitting on the meadow.
Beaches
Even though Barcelona has a clear advantage with its location right by the sea: Madrid's parks and an afternoon at the Rio Manzanares compensate for the not existing beach. For sunset, one just meets here at the Templo de Debod in order to enjoy the view over the city in front of the illuminated temple.
Nightlife Madrid vs Barcelona
When it comes to partying, of course, you won't get a raw deal anywhere in Spain. In Madrid, the best place to do this is around the Plaza Mayor, in the La Latina district and in the surrounding streets. There are plenty of tapas bars, pubs and some clubs. The districts of Chueca and Lavapiés often have their own small street parties, especially in the summer, where people party all night long. In the bigger clubs, like the Gabana in Salamanca or the Teatro Kapital in Atocha, the party doesn't start before two in the morning. Before that you usually meet somewhere in the streets or in the park in front of the Templo de Debod for a botellón.
Barcelona's nightlife is no less crazy, just maybe a little more international. You can choose from the smaller bars in the Gothic Quarter, to the big clubs right next to Las Ramblas or the party mile at the Olympic Port.
Markets
For me, Madrid is the capital of the markets. El Rastro, along Calle Embajadores is one of the biggest open-air flea markets in the country and is always held on Sundays and holidays. The Mercado de San Miguel or the Mercado de San Antón in Chueca, on the other hand, offer the most delicious delicacies of Spain. The huge market halls contain gourmet counters, fruit stands and everything your heart desires. On the roof terrace of the San Antón you can have a meal or just drop by for a drink after work.
Located directly on La Rambla, the Mercat de la Boqueria in Barcelona offers fruit, fish and spices at their finest. The location makes it easy for you to stroll through the large market hall and stock up on delicacies.
Trips in the area
It's a good thing that in Barcelona you can already find everything you need for a successful city trip, because there are not many really impressive places in the surroundings. The most popular excursion is the one to the monastery Montserrat, where you can climb the famous sculpture, the steps to heaven.
Those who miss the beach in Madrid can go to the Lago San Juan (approximately one hour bus ride from Principe Pio): There you can find a sandy beach, as well as boat rentals.
On Sundays, most Madrileños go out into the nature, to the Casa de Campo. The best way to reach the beautiful recreation area is by cable car from the Templo de Debod.
If you prefer to visit the traditional towns in the area, the best way is to take the train to nearby Toledo or Segovia. Both places will take you back to the time of old Spain.
Spanish cuisine
In both Madrid and Barcelona you will find good and cheap Spanish cuisine on every corner. In the smaller Tapas Bars you can get delicious tapas for a few euros with your beer. In Madrid, you shouldn't miss out on a churro breakfast with hot chocolate in the Chocolatería San Ginés at Plaza del Sol. They taste especially good at six in the morning after a night of partying.
Soccer
Both cities are undoubtedly into football a lot and a short city trip can be perfectly combined with a home match in the stadium of Barcelona or Madrid. Even if a Real Madrid match at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an incredible experience: if you only care about the atmosphere, you better visit an Atlético match at the Estadio Vicente Calderón - the Madrileneans are Atlético fans almost without exception.
Of course you can visit both the Santiago Bernabéu and the Camp Nou football stadium in Barcelona without a game. Not only will you learn a lot of history about the two clubs - you will also get to see the dressing rooms and catacombs behind the scenes.
Madrid vs Barcelona
Both cities are a perfect location for a city trip. You just can't help falling in love with Spanish cities, because each of them, as different as they may be, radiates the typical Spanish joie de vivre. As Madrid is my absolute favourite city and - in my opinion - is even more Spanish and has a little more to offer in total, I would prefer a trip to Madrid.
