Madrid

Madrid sits almost dead centre of Spain and carries itself as a capital should, pairing grand nineteenth-century boulevards and world-class galleries like the Prado with a genuinely energetic modern city built around late dinners and later nightlife. It has none of the coastline that draws people to Barcelona or the south, and does not need it: the culture here, the tapas bars, and the sheer confidence of the place are more than enough reason to visit.