Spain’s luxury tourist train, Al Andalus, is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary with an exciting new route that brings Madrid into the spotlight. Starting in 2026, the Spanish capital will mark either the starting point or the end destination of this exclusive journey for the very first time.

The updated itinerary will preserve the train’s signature format of seven days and six nights, offering travellers an experience of elegance and comfort. In addition to its classic Andalusian stops, the route will expand to include destinations in Extremadura, Castilla-La Mancha, and the Community of Madrid, creating a richer and more diverse exploration of the region.

This new chapter for Al Andalus reinforces its status as one of Europe’s most luxurious trainlines, combining exceptional service with a curated journey through Spain’s most captivating destinations.

Ahead of travelling to Spain and its islands, visitors should check the requirements of the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) which is gradually being implemented across the destination: 

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees  

For all press enquiries contact Jessica Harvey Taylor on Jessica.harvey@tourspain.es or the Spanish Tourist Office’s PR agency LOTUS on spain@wearelotus.co.uk

Spain is set to take centre stage in global sports tourism with two landmark events that will attract thousands of international visitors and reinforce the country’s reputation as a top destination for sports enthusiasts.

Madrid Formula 1 Grand Prix

From 2026, the Spanish Grand Prix will move to Madrid following a historic agreement with IFEMA MADRID. The all-new circuit will combine street and non-street sections, stretching 5.47km with 20 corners and a projected daily capacity of over 110,000 fans. Located just five minutes from Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport, the venue will be one of the most accessible on the Formula 1 calendar, with direct connections via Metro, train, and city lines. This development marks a new era for motorsport in Spain, promising world-class racing and an unforgettable fan experience.

Tour de France in Barcelona

Meanwhile, Barcelona will make history in July 2026 as the official starting point of the Tour de France, the world’s most elite cycling event. While the city has featured in the competition before, but never as the starting point, it’s an honour that underlines Catalonia’s passion for cycling and its focus on sustainable mobility. On 4 July, the opening stage will take off from Fòrum and finish at Estadi Olímpic, while on 5 July the second stage will commence at Rambla Nova, Tarragona, and conclude at Estadi Olímpic. By hosting this historic event, Barcelona solidifies its role as a premier sports destination and an attractive choice for international tourism.

Ahead of travelling to Spain and its islands, visitors should check the requirements of the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) which is gradually being implemented across the destination:

https://travel-europe.europa.eu/ees

For all press enquiries contact Jessica Harvey Taylor on Jessica.harvey@tourspain.es or the Spanish Tourist Office’s PR agency LOTUS on spain@wearelotus.co.uk

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will inaugurate the gallery at the opening ceremony on June 28th. 

Madrid boasts several world-renowned galleries, such as the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and the Reina Sofía. However, next month, Spain is poised to unveil one of Europe's most anticipated cultural highlights of the year: The Royal Collections Gallery in Madrid.

The new museum will showcase a remarkable assortment of paintings, tapestries, sculptures, decorative art pieces,  and royal furniture accumulated by Spanish monarchs over a span of five centuries, over the Hapsburg and Bourbon dynasties of the empire. Spain's Royal Collections are not the property of the crown but rather belong to the public, owing to a historical turn of events nearly a century ago. Presently, Patrimonio Nacional oversees palaces, monasteries, convents, and royal gardens across the country.

The exhibition will present 650 selected pieces out of the vast collection of over 150,000 artworks managed by Patrimonio Nacional. These works include contributions from artists including Velázquez, Goya, Caravaggio, Titian, and Tintoretto. Furthermore, the exhibition will feature a selection of the finest tapestries in the world, along with ancient carriages and royal furniture. Each year, approximately one-third of the exhibited works will be replaced with new exhibitions.

More information here

The emblematic buildings that will be transformed with a myriad of light features include El Retiro Park, Puerta de Alcalá, Prado Museum, Cibeles Palace among others. There is a tour available to ensure visitors do not miss any of the beautiful sculptures on show, however the sites are also available to visit as tourists please.

There are many famous names from both Spain and the rest of the world that are creating fabulous works for this year’s event including designers such as Onionlab, Maxi Gilbert, Antoni Arola, and Erik Barray as well as Javier Riera, Juanjo Llorens and Alicia Moneva among many others. The LuzMadrid festival will celebrate the Spanish capital in spectacular fashion and reinforce why its Landscape of Light was recently the city’s first inscription into the prestigious list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The decision was made that the site should fall under the category of Cultural Landscapes at the 44th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Fuzhou, China. The committee, composed of representatives from 21 of the States Parties to the Convention, recognised the locations outstanding universal value and beauty of nature, culture, and science in the urban setting.

The site originally made Madrid Europe’s first sustainable capital city back in the 16^th century and today Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, expressed his excitement on the decision to declare it a UNESCO World Heritage site. He said that Madrid welcomed the distinction “with pride and honour” and was mindful of the “enormous responsibility of having a site inscribed in the World Heritage List”. He added that the city would “meet the challenge” of having this title.

The site combines a sense of culture and nature and is situated in the heart of the city for all its citizens to enjoy. Paseo del Prado is the earliest example of an urban promenade and represents the societies of Madrid and Spain. It is linked historically to the park, Buen Retiro, that King Charles III opened in the 18th century, and both were declared as areas for the community to enjoy nature, arts, and sciences within the boundaries of the city.

This gives the Landscape of Light exceptional universal value that has been recognised by UNESCO and distinguishes it as a unique model of singular urban development that was ahead of its time. It has gained prominence beyond Spain’s borders as a rich, diverse, evolving, and dynamic urban cultural landscape that was meticulously designed for recreation and the education of citizens in contact with nature. These reasons led UNESCO to recognise the Landscape of Light as a site that deserves its place on its World Heritage List.

There are 12 establishments that make up the Association of Centenarian Restaurants and Taverns of Madrid (RCM) whose objective is to combine efforts to consolidate the traditional gastronomy of Madrid and create a wider appreciation of the Centuries-old Restaurants and Taverns of Madrid, both within and outside regional and international borders.

The Madrid Tourism Board has created a map to help travellers discover the time-honoured establishments where diners can savour many of Madrid’s traditional dishes such as cocido (Madrid-style stew), soldaditos de pavía (battered and deep-fried cod with red peppers), and callos (tripe), or just enjoy a caña of beer, a glass of vermouth on tap, or wines from the region.

Aside from treasuring the history of gastronomy, the Restaurantes Centenarios have witnessed the evolution of politics, literature and art. Significant chapters in the history of Madrid have been written within their walls such as in Lhardy (1839) where the overthrowing of monarchy and politicians was plotted and ministerial meetings have been held with Miguel Primo de Rivera, former President of the Council of Ministers.

The Spanish Tourist Office has highlighted just a handful of these restaurants and taverns, all of which opened over a hundred years ago, to showcase the essence of what makes them so special: 

La Casa del Abuelo (Vitoria) continues to serve its famous prawns in a variety of ways: with garlic served in a ceramic dish; sizzling with garlic, oil and parsley; griddled to perfection and served with coarse salt; in pastry; or skewers, always accompanied by “El Abuelo” sweet wine or Toro wine. These traditional dishes have been served in the same famous way since 1906.  

Antonio Sanchez Tavern, found in the Lavapiés district, is the oldest tavern in Madrid. Although its exact opening date is a mystery, we do know it was sometime before 1787. The menu is entirely dedicated to traditional Madrilenian cooking.  

Casa Ciriaco was founded in the heart of the Calle Mayor at the end of the 19th century. All manner of famous faces have passed through here including writer Valle-Inclán and cartoonist Antonio Mingote.  

Botín, on Calle Cuchilleros, is considered to be the oldest restaurant in the world. The restaurant has maintained its original atmosphere so much so that the building’s wood-burning oven, which still roasts suckling pigs and lambs in a Castilian style, is the same as that of 1725. 

According to data provided by the RCM, the turnover of the Restaurantes Centenarios has dropped by up to 80%, which is almost entirely down to the lack of visitors during the pandemic. As a result of their traditional and original layouts, many of the restaurants do not have the facility to provide outdoor dining. This means they have not been able to accommodate diners when restrictions have been eased. Furthermore, due to their unique characteristics, they do not have sufficient demand for home delivery.

To help alleviate this situation and to honour their cultural and gastronomic heritage, Madrid has declared these establishments places of significant cultural and touristic interest.

From 30 May to 2 June, Madrid will be abuzz with some of the city’s most recognised spots acting as epicentres for the football frenzy. The opening ceremony will take place in Puerta de Sol, the city’s most central square, where the main stage will be set up. Over the course of the four-day festival DJ’s, bands and local performers will take centre stage to entertain the travelling fans.

Madrid’s Plaza Mayor, just a short five minute walk from Puerta de Sol, will welcome the UEFA Champions Pitch where a number of different activities will take place. Fans should look out for the UEFA Ultimate Champions Tournament which will see Champions League legends take part in a five-a-side tournament. Many of the other activities taking place are centred on UEFA’s #EqualGame campaign and will include an amputee football match where fans have the opportunity to take blindfolded penalties and play on crutches as well as exhibition games involving the Homeless World Cup and European Powerchair Football Association.

Visiting fans have an array of activities at their leisure such as a visit to the UEFA Royal House of Football, meeting UEFA Champions League stars at ambassador autograph sessions, have their photo taken with the trophy or visit the UEFA Champions League Superstore in Plaza del Callao.

For visitors lucky enough to have a ticket to the big game, the extensive festival activities will take place just a 45 minute Metro ride from the Wanda Metropolitano stadium. The 68,000 seater stadium reopened in 2017 has become one of the most modern in Europe with 900 high-resolution screens and an innovative 100% LED lighting system that will make the game and historic trophy lift a spectacle to behold.