The Barrio de Salamanca is the main neighborhood in Madrid. In this district are to be found the most exclusive and elegant shops in Madrid. Antique hunters will also find their time here well spent. Furthermore, Salamanca is one of Madrid's most exclusive areas where the most expensive designer shops, art studios, hotels and residences are located. If you enjoy "window-shopping", you are advised to stroll along the streets Serrano, Velazquez and Claudio Coello.

In Salamanca you'll also find two of the most well-known plazas in Madrid: Plaza Cibeles and Plaza Col�n. Also, you'll see here the Retiro Park with its boating lake and open-air artists and buskers, the National Library, the Arqueological Museum and the Real Jard�n Bot�nico. There is a regular bus service from Madrid; Auto Res is the company, and the buses are really comfortable. From Madrid to Salamanca is a 2:30 hours trip.

The Paseo de la Castellana, or just Castellana, runs roughly North-South and takes you right from the outskirts of Madrid to the heart of the city. Paseo de la Castellana, Madrid's greatest and grandest avenue runs between Plaza de Col�n and Plaza de Castilla. This wide avenue is the northern continuation of the Paseo de Recoletos, which itself is the continuation of the Paseo del Prado. The headquarters of banks, and the most important national companies are all located on the Paseo de la Castellana as well as the most famous museums and galleries: the Thyssen, the Prado, the National Library, the Science Museum and so on. There are also a couple of government ministeries here too, such as the Ministry for Work and the Ministry of Defence.

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