Lavapiés Walking Tour (Self Guided), Madrid

Revel in the bohemian and carefree vibe of Lavapiés, a multicultural neighborhood alive with galleries, bars, ethnic restaurants and cafés. This is a central locale, within easy walking distance of La Latina, yet it is off the well-trodden tourist path.

Take a leisurely stroll down the colorful and lively streets and pause every now and again to view the graffiti and street art. For more formal artistic endeavors, drop into Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid's premier modern art gallery. Browse exhibition halls that are adorned with the works of such notable artistic greats as Picasso, Salvador Dali and Joan Miró. The gallery's collection includes Picasso’s Guernica, a mural-sized oil on canvas, which is one of his most famous works.

Among the neighborhood's beautiful buildings are Cine Doré, a gorgeous looking 1920s Art Deco cinema and Atocha Train Station, the largest train station in Madrid. Behind the glass and steel construction you will see lush tropical gardens lining the concourse and a collection of attention-grabbing sculptures. With up to 88 nationalities living in the neighborhood, eating out in Lavapiés is like a United Nations of the taste buds. There are so many delicious international cuisines on offer, including South African, Moroccan and Kurdish.