Weekend in Madrid & TOLEDO, June 10 & 11 2011
The transport Santander-Madrid and Madrid-Santander is not included in the prices of the trips. However, if you would like us to organise your transport, please be free to contact us through the email: info@oceans11santander.org and we will be pleased to help you.
The restaurants for lunch and dinner offered during the trips are of top quality and enjoy an excellent Spanish Gastronomy.
The trips are offered together or individually. The minimum number of participants for each trip is 15 people.
Accommodation recommended by Afid Congresos in Madrid:
- Hotel Intur Palacio San Martin***** (P/San Martín. nº5 - 28013 – Madrid) www.intur.com
This 19th Century building which was the first US Embassy, and was restored as a charming hotel in 2001 is protected by Patrimonio Nacional (National Heritage) due to its historical interest. The original staircase and lift have been preserved and it has been awarded the Q for Quality award by the Institute for Tourist Quality. It is located in the centre of city and very closed to the most popular tourist attractions in Madrid.
Room rates:
- 126€ Single room
- 139€ Double room
*The prices indicated above are per room per night and include buffet breakfast and taxes. Payments are made directly by the client upon departure from the hotel.
Friday, 10th June. Day-trip in Madrid
- 9.00 a.m. Bus pick-up the group at the Hotel Intur Palacio San Martin.
- Guided visit to the Royal Palace.
Madrid's Royal Palace is an impressive example of classicistic Italian baroque style. Construction was begun under Philip V by the architects Juvara, Sabatini and Sachetti. Charles III was, in 1714, the first king to have his residence here. In the interior of the palace we find numerous precious rooms, especially remarkable is the Throne Hall. Worth visiting are as well the gardens, Jardines de Sabatini and Campo del Moro.
- Guided walking tour around The Madrid of the Habsburg-Epoch
"El Madrid de los Austrias" is how Spanish people call the part of the city that was blooming when Spain belonged to the Habsburg-Empire. Under King Charles I, at the same time Charles V of the German Empire and the first of his family to reign Spain, the importance of Madrid grew, but it was Philip II who made it the capital. To visit the buildings of this epoch, mainly in Renaissance- and Baroque-styles, is perhaps among the most impressive Madrid has to offer.
Our tour starts at Puerta del Sol, in the very centre of town. Passing through some narrow streets we arrive to the Descalzas Reales, to the Monastery de la Encarnación, Palacio de Uceda, and, through Calle Mayor, to Plaza de la Villa, a beautiful square with interesting buildings: Casa de la Villa, Casa Cisneros and Tower of Lujanes. Just behind, there is one of the best-known and most impressive squares of Madrid, Plaza Mayor, with Casa de la Panadería, an old bakery, and Casa de la Carnicería, an old butchery, as major attractions. In the centre of the square there is a statue of Philip III. Other buildings worth visiting in this part of town are the Cathedral of San Isidro, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Casa de Lope de Vega, the house of the famous writer, located in a street named after another great man of this genre, Calle Cervantes.
- Lunch in a typical local restaurant called "La Bola".
- Visit to "El Prado" Museum
Certainly one of the most important collections of paintings worldwide is in "El Prado Museum". There are special rooms for masters such us Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Zurbarán, Murillo and Tiziano, as well as for representants of the Flemish school.
- Dinner in a typical Spanish "Tablao Flamenco"
- Bus pick up the group at the restaurant and drop off at the Hotel Intur Palacio San Martín.
PRICE OF MADRID TRIP: 218€
It includes: bus, entrance fees, English/Spanish speaking guide, lunch and dinner. Taxes included.
Saturday, June 11th. Day trip in Toledo
- 9.00 a.m. Bus pick-up the group at the hotel Intur Palacio San Martín.
- Guided walking tour around Toledo City.
Toledo declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, is located on a rocky headland, bordered by the river Tajo in the very heart of Spain, just 70 kilometers from the capital, Madrid. Considered by many to be a "Second Rome", Toledo is still very much a unique city. Unique in its details, history, culture and charm. Three cultures from three single-faith religions - Muslim, Hebrew and Christian - left their imprints on this sad rock and cradle of civilizations - as Cervantes wrote - embracing the Tajo, witness to the mark of all the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula.
For centuries, the capital of Castile-La Mancha has been able to preserve an unrivalled, thousand-year-old urban, architectural, and artistic heritage. Churches, synagogues, mosques, convents, city walls, bridges, towers and an endless amount of cultural and artistic possibilities held in their buildings make Toledo a museum waiting to be discovered.
- Lunch in a typical local restaurant in Toledo.
- Continuation with the visit around Toledo.
- Return to the Hotel Intur Palacio San Martín.
- Dinner at "Posada de la Villa", in the historic part of Madrid.
- Return to the Hotel Intur Palacio San Martín.
PRICE OF TOLEDO TRIP: 230€
It includes: bus, entrance fees, English/Spanish speaking guide, lunch and dinner. Taxes included.