Madrid is a name that is instantly familiar to any soccer fan; home of all-conquering Real Madrid, the biggest soccer club in the world. Real’s enormous stadium – the 80,000 capacity Estadio Santiago Bernabeu – is one of the cathedrals of world soccer and now has a new city rival in the Wanda Metropolitano, the new home of Real’s fierce city rivals Atletico Madrid.

But there is much more to Madrid than just passionate soccer culture. Madrid is one of the most cosmopolitan and vibrant cities in Europe, boasting beautiful parks and plazas, high-end shops and boutiques and lively restaurants and bars. You’ll experience all the magic and energy of the Spanish capital and live and breathe soccer the Spanish way – from playing in the streets to touring some of the world’s best stadiums and even attending a match in Spain’s La Liga.

You’ll also go off the beaten track to visit the community of Lavapiés, an informal neighbourhood in the heart of Madrid that is now home to the largest concentration of immigrants in the city. You’ll join a local non-profit organisation as they bring soccer to the steep and narrow streets of Lavapiés, experience and taste traditional foods, see typical dances and of course play soccer the local way – anytime, anywhere!

Toledo & Segovia

Just outside Madrid, the medieval city of Toledo is a monument to peaceful coexistence. Dramatically situated on a gorge overlooking the Río Tajo, it was known as the ‘city of three cultures’ in the Middle Ages, a place where – legend has it – Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities lived together in peace. You’ll experience the beauty of this ancient city – classified a Unesco World Heritage site – on a walking tour that takes in stunning architecture including mosques, synagogues and one of Spain’s fines Gothic cathedrals.

Legend has it that the city of Segovia was founded in 1076 B.C. by Hercules of Egypt – great-grandson of Noah. Whether you choose to believe the myths or not, there is no denying the charm and wonder of this city – Walt Disney is said to have modelled Sleeping Beauty’s castle in California’s Disneyland on Segovia’s Alcázar Castle. The Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the most impressive examples of Roman architecture anywhere in the world, soaring above the vibrant heart of the city and still carrying water from the Fuente Fria river to this day.

Inspired by the grandeur and fuelled by delicious local Castilian soups and stews, you can also take a trip up nearby Navacerrada from where you’ll have incredible views of the city and countryside below you.