The Organizing Committee welcomes you to the EHS 2008 Domestic Meeting, thanks for your participation and support, and wishes you a successful and enjoyable stay in Madrid.
Madrid is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe offering to visitors museums, galleries, shopping, sightseeing and, of course, great restaurants. Madrid is a city of charm and culture, combining history and a growing cosmopolitan character.

Sightseeing
The grand metropolis of Madrid can trace its origins to the times of Arab Emir Mohamed I (852-886), who ordered the construction of a fortress on the left bank of the Manzanares river. Later it became the subject of a dispute between the Christians and Arabs until it was conquered by Alonso VI in the 11th century. At the end of the 17th century, a defensive wall was built for the protection of the new outlying areas, tracing the roads of Segovia, Toledo and Valencia. During the 18th century, under the reign of Carlos III, were designed the great arteries of the city, such as the Paseo del Prado and Paseo las Acacias.

The Art Walk
The Art Walk is one of the most splendid tours in the historic centre of Madrid and includes the museums, monuments and gardens that can be found at the axis of Paseo del Prado.
In this area Madrid’s three top museums: the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía Art Centre, are situated near each other. The three art galleries are currently undertaking ambitious improvement and extension projects. The Prado is constructing a new building, according to a project by Rafael Moneo, and will incorporate the nearby Army Museum installations, with which it Hill gain 30,000 square metres. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is on the point of concluding the work on a second adjoining building – according to a Project by the architects Manuel Baquero and Francesc Plá – to house the private collection of Carmen Cervera, widow of Baron Thyssen. As for the Reina Sofía, perhaps the most important project of the three by the architect Jean Nouvel, the work consists of the construction of three adjacent buildings that will extend the display area by 50%. Apart from the above, the extensive remodelling of Paseo del Prado, awarded to the Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza, will restore this privileged urban setting to its original splendour.
Around the Art Walk visitors will also come across monuments and historic places, such as the Squares and fountains of La Cibeles and Neptuno, Puerta de Alcalá, Casa de América, the impressive Post Office building and the Bank of Spain, Retiro park, Monastery of the Jerónimos (Hieronymites), Royal Botanical Gardens, Atocha Station, House of Commons... In this area you Hill also encounter some of Madrid’s most sophisticated hotels.

Restaurants and shopping
Night-owls will find Madrid a paradise but visitors must keep in mind the late dining hours; restaurants do not even open until eight or nine o'clock - but many remain open until the early morning hours. Shopping varies from traditional articles found around the Plaza Mayor to large stores and open-air markets such as the Rastro flea market.

The tapas
In Madrid, as in all of Spain, the tapa is a vague gastronomic term undergoing a gradual evolution. If, accordancing to the definition of the Real Academia Española de la Lengua, a tapa is any portion of solid food accompanying a drink, it is clearly as broad a concept as one wants! It is interesting to note that, once in a great while, the local custom, with all of its traditionalism, connects with modernism. This form of eating, called ‘tapear,’ consists of picking at diverse portions of different dishes, varying and combining tastes, and can be enjoyed quickly or slowly depending on one’s needs. It can be said that this old Spanish custom of ‘tapear’ is equivalent to healthy and fun fast-food.