Madrid is the capital and most-populous city of Spain. It is the second-largest city in the European Union. The municipality covers 604.3 km2.
Madrid lies on the River Manzanares in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula. Capital city of both Spain, it is also the political, economic and cultural centre of the country.
While Madrid possesses modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace of Madrid; the Royal Theatre with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park, founded in 1631; the 19th-century National Library building, and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, which complements the holdings of the other two museums.[28] Cibeles Palace and Fountain has become one of the monument symbols of the city.
