马德里

Spain’s capital is one of Europe’s most energetic and sociable cities, a place where life spills into the streets and dinner rarely starts before 10 pm. It is home to the Paseo del Arte, one of the world’s great museum clusters: the Prado, the Reina Sofía with Picasso’s Guernica, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum. Together with the nearby Retiro Park, the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beyond the museums, there’s the grand Royal Palace, the arcaded Plaza Mayor and the glittering Gran Vía. Between sights, hop from one tapas bar to the next in La Latina, graze at the Mercado de San Miguel, and end the night with churros and hot chocolate.

Madrid has one of the best gay scenes in the world, and its heart is Chueca. In the 1980s and 90s the LGBTQ+ community transformed this once-neglected neighbourhood into one of the city’s most vibrant areas. Today more than 50 gay bars and clubs sit within a short walk of Chueca metro station, along streets such as Calle Pelayo, Hortaleza and Libertad and around Plaza de Chueca. You’ll find something for every taste, from drag cabarets at legendary spots like LL Bar and Black & White to bear bars, cocktail terraces and big dance clubs. Most bars have no cover charge, and in summer the crowds spill out onto the streets. Arrive later than you think, because the bars really fill up after 1 am.

The highlight of the year is MADO – Madrid Orgullo, held from late June to early July. It is one of the largest Pride celebrations in Europe, drawing well over a million people for ten days of free concerts, street parties, the famous high-heels race, and the huge State Pride March on the first Saturday of July. Other big dates include the leather weekend in autumn and the MADBEAR bear week in December. Spain became one of the first countries in the world to legalise same-sex marriage in 2005, and Madrid is open, proud and easy to fall in love with.