5 Useful Apps for Madrid Visitors: For the Love of Your #Travel

For the love of your #travel and for the love of everyone's inner explorer, we want you to discover Madrid and we are willing to equip you for that. Here is the list of apps, which together will answer most of your quests and questions and will point you in the right direction. Try not to miss on the most fun and fantastic faces of the city!

GuíaPunto: Guide to Madrid's Places

A rather complete and trustworthy guide to the city of Madrid. There is an English version which makes the user friendly interface even more intuitive. The information is complete and includes places that are popular among locals.

The categories are also well though out and you can save the places to your favorites.

The only disadvantage, ironically, is that it can be overwhellming to people not from Madrid and there is no guidenace like user reviewes or expert recommendations.

We strongly recommend to check-out sections Culture and Bars - Food at the Markets. There you will find places with local atmosphere and authentic social life.

Download here


Madrid by MadSnail Travel: Curious and Personal Insights to Madrid from Locals

This app has developed into a personalized guide for the visitors of Madrid with recommendations, coupons, tips and curious facts coming from local guides of Madrid, most of whom are natives to the capital of Spain.

Apart from being able to book your private tour directly, you can order your transfer from the airport, listen to audio guide audios recorded by MadSnail guide, watch videos and photos of Madrid and, most importantly, can check out the very personal, approved by locals, recommendations for interesting and off-the-beaten-track things to do in Madrid and good places to eat and stay in section "We Approve".

The app is constantly updated with new audio guides of the city and new places to visit.

Download here



Metro de Madrid: Your Most Reliable, Safe and Authentic Way to Discover Madrid


Don't be mistaken, Metro of Madrid is visitor friendly even if you don't speak Spanish. We strongly recommend it as your preffered means of transportation, as it provides excellent connection even between the central attractions and is well affordable and fast. Also, you get to see the real life of Madrid and its local people. It is safe, clean, and very predictable. Some stations serve as cultural centers: Moncloa and Linea Zero.

This app is available in English, French, German, Chinese and is though out for visitors, providing the usual maps and routs information, but also, rates, and a map with touristic attractions in relation to Metro stops.

You can calculate how long it will take you and plan the optimal route between point A and point B.

Download here



Museo del Prado: Interactive and Curios Way to See Prado Before and After the Visit


Prado Museum is a must see for anyone visiting Madrid, regardless of his or her interest in art or history. This is a unique experience and one of the best ways to evidence Spanish culture thanks to the richness and vastness of the collection. We guagrantee something will catch your attention and will arise your curiousity and will become a doorway to your closer understanding of spaniards and the country you are visiting.

This app is thought for modern users which like to be able to see, touch, hear and write at the same time. The app features free guide to major works in audio and text format, with contains beyond basic information and interesting features like "related works", which help visitors understand better a certain masterpiece.

The app is free but has additional content for very reasonable price below 1 EUR. It will help to decide if you are still doubting about the visit, as well as will give you interesting content and inspiration for your visit. The app is called "Second Canvas Museo del Prado".  Download here

Trip Advisor Madrid City Guide


Of course you know about it, but if in dobut about the quality, we can say "go for it". It is free and it works offline, including the map, which is not a common thing for a tourist app.

It will be helpful and most of the times you can trust the ratings and user reviewes. The guide is rather complete and you create your own travel journal, find your location and learn some basic facts about the city with self-guided tours.


Download here for Android and for Apple




Author: Natalia Gorobisnaka
Madrid Enthusiast
MadSnail Travel

Superstitions of the Madrileños in 1500´s

Witch, A. Durero
1505
Well is known that Madrid, and Spanish people in general are and always were very superstitious, especially if we look back to medieval ages and all the stories about witches, wizards, dragons or potions for this and that. To the point that eventually, people lived in fear, surrounded by lies based on faith or believes.

The “evil eye”, wow, careful with it ’cause you could easily get cursed by a gypsy for not buying something from him/her, and then only a gypsy or a witch could take off the spell of this evil eye!

Specifically in Madrid more people had many superstitions as part of their everyday culture.

Imagine, they believed that if a pregnant woman walks into the sacristy at the specific moment, when the priest is tiding up his belt at the first day light, her baby would be born with the umbilical cord tided around its neck and it would die of asphyxia. In order to prevent this from happening, the husband must steal a piece of the priest’s cloths used for the mass and burnt it in the fire at the house, while pouring the white wine on a clean cloth and the couple would have to rub their hands with oil.

The Collection Of Superstitions and Spells
 1555  (see comment)
Getting married on a Friday is a short of kamikaze attempt, and very wrong to marry either in May or August.

If there is a woman in the house of age to get married, oil lamps or candles cannot ever be turned off and if in the morning the kitchen wakes turned itself off (charcoal has died) – it’s a really bad sign, which means that the spirits will repel away from the house all those men to could be willing to marry.

These stories were all over the place and were very strong believes in our society back in those days of the XVI century. Now apparently marrying or travelling on a Tuesday isn’t a good idea. Some things seem to have changed, but had they really?

Comment to "The Collection Of Superstitions and Spells"
The insciption of the title says: This is a very useful book and is necessary for every good christian. It was written by the master Ciruelo and now it is issued again with corrections and improvements
"Reprouacion de las supersticiones y hechizerias : Libro muy vtile y necessario a todos los buenos christianos / El qual compuso y escriuio el Reuerendo maestro Ciruelo ...; y agora de nueuo lo a reuisto y corrregido, y aun le ha añadido algunas mejorias, con sus acotaciones por las margenes."

Author:
Enrique Gonzalez
MadSnail Travel Guide
Madrid Walking Tours

Here is our FREE APP with places to visit Approved by Locals and more info about Madrid


Best Kept Secrets of Madrid

This is a list of best kept secrets that are hardly ever revealed to the visitors of Madrid. Usually one gets to know them after leaving here for a while.
Don´t miss them!

GET OUR FREE APP TO SEE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS APPROVED BY LOCALS
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FineDine in Madrid, Distinguished Experience

Our recommendations of good Spanish restaurants where madriders go for upscale and high quality dinning experience.
Enjoy!

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Lunch & Brunch Places in Madrid

Places to have a nice brunch/lunch (depending on your customs) in a pleasant atmosphere and with great gastronomical selection. It is our personal recommendation. Enjoy!

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