Centro is Madrid’s centuries-old core, encompassing stately shopping street Gran Vía, iconic square Plaza Mayor, and the lavish Royal Palace. Masterpieces hang at the Prado Museum, while nearby Retiro Park has paths in former royal gardens. There’s buzzing nightlife in Chueca, known as the LGBT quarter, plus vintage tapas bars in Barrio de La Latina. The theater scene covers opera, musicals, and flamenco shows.