Madrid, Spain: My First Experience in Europe

Europe is a continent I believe everyone dreams of visiting at least once in their lifetime. With its rich history, intricate architecture, diverse cultures, languages, and incredible cuisine, there is so much to experience. Combined with its breathtaking landscapes and natural beauty, there is just so much to experience!

My first time in Europe was a couple of years ago when I traveled to Spain for a study abroad program. During the trip, we explored both Spain and Morocco. It was an unforgettable experience filled with so much adventure, learning, and excitement.

Our first stop during our time abroad was Madrid, the capital of Spain. This city was full of stunning artwork, lovely architecture, and vibrant culture. Today, I want to share some of my favorite golden hour moments from this trip and the beautiful introduction to Europe that Madrid was.

Our flight to Madrid arrived in the morning, and as we got closer and closer to the surface it was incredible to see the contrast between the flat plains and the surrounding mountains from the plane. It was in that moment that I truly realized I was on the other side of the world. There is something so surreal about traveling to a new continent for the first time. It truly was an unforgettable experience.

We soon landed in Spain, then headed to the hotel. It was charming and vintage with a distincly European feel. The architecture was gorgeous and the room had unique details such as patterned ironwork that gave the space so much character.

Not long after we dropped off our luggage, we were out exploring the city. We only had two nights in Madrid until continuing on to Granada, so our itineraries were full.

We had some time before meeting up with the rest of our group, so a few of us walked to a local restaurant not far from our hotel.

Once it was time, we met back up with everyone and headed to Museo Nacional del Prado. This museum in Madrid is one of the world’s finest art museums, and is home to one of the largest and most important collection of Spanish art.

Unfortunately, photography and videography are not allowed inside the art museum. But it is absolutely a must-visit while you’re in Madrid.

After a few hours, we made our way to Puerta del Sol - known as the Gate of the Sun - which is a famous square in Madrid. It is the geographical center of Spain and is surrounded by countless shops, remarkable landmarks, and local eateries.

As this being my first time visiting a European country, I was so captivated by the beautiful cobblestone streets, stunning architecture, and unique culture. While walking through Puerta del Sol, I remember taking so many pictures of the buildings that surrounded us. Each one was unique, colorful, and full of its own character.

After spending some time exploring the square, we headed to dinner at Restaurante Ginger. It was a pretty restaurant with good food. The dishes were unlike anything I had tried before, but that’s one of the best parts of traveling and experiencing new things.

We were there a little while eating, talking, and enjoying the moment. By the time we headed back outside, blue hour had settled over the city, making our walk back absolutely stunning!

The next morning, I got up and enjoyed breakfast at the hotel. They had fresh fruit like pears, oranges, and kiwi that were so refreshing.

Before heading out, I went back to my room, where my roommates and I opened our balcony doors to enjoy the morning sun and take photos. It was so cool because it felt like the balcony was straight out of a movie. The black iron railing, the industrial doors, and the treetops overlooking the café seating that was below our hotel. It felt so special.

It was now time to explore Puerta del Sol once again. But instead of the cloudy, overcast sky, it was bright and sunny!

During our time here, we got to see more of the historic landmarks in the square and admire the beautiful buildings.

Now, looking back at all of the photos I took around this wonderful city I am getting even more inspired by the craftmanship and creativity behind these incredibly beautiful buildings. Just viewing them brings me so much warmth.

While we were exploring more of the historical buildings in Madrid, we passed by the oldest restaurant in the world - Sobrino de Botín. It has been open for 300 years and is still serving some of Madrid’s finest cuisine.

It is still crazy to me that we walked these wonderful streets and saw so many rich historical landmarks during our stay in Madrid.

Soon it was lunch, and we stumbled across this unique restaurant with the most beautiful street art on the walls. I got a burger and fries and it was so good! The fries in Europe are significantly fresher than those in the U.S., and their flavor truly took me by surprise.

Seeing the art, culture, and creativity in a new city, country, and continent was so amazing to me. It solidified my love for travel and exploration. And I truly believe that it is so important that people who are able should go out and explore a new culture and become acquainted with the people and history. It allows you to become more open-minded and have a better, and well-rounded perspective of the world.

Now, it was time to go to one of the most lovely places in Madrid - Royal Palace of Madrid.

The Royal Palace is the largest functioning palace in Europe. Although this is the official residence of the Spanish monarchy, the royals live elsewhere, so the palace is mainly reserved for state ceremonies.

Even before we walked into the Royal Palace, I knew it was about to blow my mind.

This astounding architectural masterpiece is full of fine marble, rich gold accents, magnificent frescoes, elaborate chandeliers, and royal treasures.

The exterior is grand with light granite and limestone. The entire front of the palace is wide and spacious with plenty of room to capture photos and walk around the grounds.

In one of the areas of the palace towards the left, there is a viewpoint that overlooks the surrounding city. You can view lush, tall trees as well as the beige and red-roofed tops of countless buildings and homes in the distance.

It was now time to go into the palace where we were instantly greeted by the massive staircase leading to the royal living quarters.

Frescoes adorned the ceilings along with lots of elegant windows and gold fixtures. It was absolutely stunning.

One of the most remarkable parts of walking around the Royal Palace of Madrid was seeing all of the chandeliers. They were in almost all of the rooms on the upper floor of the palace. Each one was uniquely designed and breathtaking, complementing the rooms they adorned.

The rooms were filled with stunning tapestries, priceless works of art, and their own enchanting color palletes. The rooms were absolutely unreal in the most elegant way.

As we made our way through the palace we not only saw lovely rooms, but we also encountered crowns, scepters, a long and intricately decorated dining table that was absolutely breathtaking, as well as countless other wonders.

These two days in Madrid were so amazing! They were the perfect introduction to Europe and allowed me to experience so much richness in just a couple of days.

Now it was time to slow down and enjoy our last night in the city before taking a train to our next destination, Granada.

Spain is the only country I have been able to explore in Europe so far, but I am so excited to visit all of the other countries I have been dreaming of. So stay tuned, because there will definitely be some fun European adventures coming up in the near future!

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