Las Ventas (Madrid)
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Las Ventas – The spiritual home of Spanish bullfighting
The Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas is the most famous bullring in Spain, located in the east of the city in the Salamanca district. It is a huge arena able to accommodate over 25,000 spectators and designed in an intriguing mix of Romanesque and Moorish architecture, dating from 1929. Although many tourists on short breaks in Madrid find the sport of bullfighting unpalatable, it is certainly worth a visit for its exotic design features alone. It is also arguably the best place in town to soak up a real flavour of urban Spanish life.
Las Ventas – A fascinating history lesson
The arena itself is huge, measuring 200 feet wide and dominated by the ornately decorated Royal Box, complete with its own private bathroom and lift. At ground level there are five gates through where the bulls enter the ring, corrals, a medical centre and even a chapel designed in traditional Mexican style. On cheap city breaks in Madrid, you can take a daytime tour of the whole arena which includes a visit to the national bullfighting museum, an interesting exhibition space with lots of photographs, art and personal effects celebrating the cultural significance and history of bullfighting in Spain.
Las Ventas – An integral part of Spanish cultural life
On weekend breaks in Madrid, you can attend the pomp and spectacle of a bullfight every Sunday evening during the main season from March to October and every day during the famous festival of San Isidro which attracts the most celebrated matadors, although tickets are especially hard to come by. The Las Ventas arena always produces an electric atmosphere and has also staged world class tennis tournaments and rock concerts. Throughout the day prior to a bullfight there is a lively buzz around the place where people come from all walks of life to socialise, dine out and mingle.
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