Do people really really enjoy Madrid?

Remember that Madrid was founded much later than Rome and Paris. Clearly, you are drawn to older cities. Nothing wrong with that.

You don't know your history. Madrid has to be view in contest. Madrid is the youngest European capitol city in Europe. A mere child of 400 compared to the grandparents of Paris at a 1000 or Rome at 3000. Hasn't been sacked, buried, leveled by earthquakes or occupied much. It was built after the cannon so no city wall to protect it. If you want old buildings go to the old capitol of Toledo. And Spain itself relatively dating to 1492. Paris, Rome, London have always been there but most of Spain was under Moorish rule and influence when the others were not. That is I like about Spain is that it is different the balance of Europe and I enjoy the difference.

you're not missing anything. rome or paris is about the highest level of human civilization goes in terms of art and architecture to some degree, so if you go to a 2nd tier city like madrid you'll be disappointed, as a mainstream tourist. this is probably more so if you wonder to the eastern europ countries, etc. But, as you see more countries you should start appreciate the differences, and it becomes more about the people and less about the arts and architecture, then you'll have equally great trips, not matter where you go.

I didn't care much for Madrid either. I loved Toledo, but I was there during a big festival. In general I preferred Portugal to Spain, and I definitely rate Lisbon much higher than Madrid. But it's very much a YMMV issue.

We've been to Madrid 3 times and the first time we visited, I wasn't crazy about it. The 2nd time, I liked it better...we were there last May and I really loved it the 3rd time around. Instead of the Prado, we went to the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museums. They were both great! It was our first time visiting the Royal Palace and while it's not Versailles, it was beautiful - especially the musical instruments room with a string quartet by Stradivarius. We went to a bullfight, ate great tapas, enjoyed the markets (esp. Marcado de San Miguel) and found some fun shopping opportunities. Consider giving Madrid it another chance!

I've had the opposite experience to Sharon. My first trip to Madrid (in February 2009) was fabulous! It was my first time in Spain, and I had such a great time, including side-trips to Segovia and Toledo. My favorite site was the Temple de Debod. I went back this February (2011) as the last day of a trip to Andalusia, and while I couldn't believe how "at home" I felt in Madrid, I found it utterly boring, other than the wonderful Palace (which I prefer to Versailles!) and the always-amazing Prado.

I thoroughly enjoy Madrid and have for about 6 or 7 trips now. Of course I have made friends there and visit them and that adds to the attraction. The museums, the Park Retrio, Gran Via, Calle Funercal, the old city with Calle Cervantes and Lope de Vega. I enjoy them all. Hope to get back in the fall. While it may not be Paris, or Rome, it is Madrid, and full of excitement and exciting opportunities as well.

I find Madrid to be a very nice, very livable city. But not very exciting. There are lots of cities I'd recommend seeing first, including several in Spain. But the Prado is amazing and it makes for a great base to see other cities like Toledo or Segovia. At the risk of being chastised ;-) I also feel the same way about Milan...

Madrid is one of my favorites, and probably the European capital where I have spent the most days-- along with Paris and Rome. The Parc de Buen Retiro on a weekend when all the locals are out strolling. Plaza Santa Ana, lively after dark, and Calle de Huertas pedestrian boulevard. I really like the Plaza Mayor, especially in the early morning and at night. When I have been there it's been in the shoulder season and the tourist crowds are not bad at all. Same time of year in Paris, Rome, London, Prague it would be total hoards of people. I like the royal palace too, it's one the better ones in Europe (though too dimly lit on my last visit). The Thiessen Museum is also great, along with the Prado. (The point has been made that Paris is older, and that is true, but the buildings you see in much of Paris are not that old. They knocked down a lot of old buildings around Napoleon's time I believe it was. That's why there are so many long straight boulevards instead of medieval style winding streets.) I prefer Madrid to Barcelona, which I like well enough.

Before visiting Spain, I wasn't quite as excited as I had been previously when planning trips to other powerhouse destinations, such as France. I just didn't get pumped for Madrid like I did for Paris. After visiting and experiencing the history, the culture, the people, the food, etc., it turns out that Spain is my new favorite country. As Frank said, it's completely different than any other place in Europe, and that's what I like about it. Madrid isn't Paris. If you expect to experience Paris in Madrid, you'll be disappointed. They cannot be compared, because each is totally unique. I love Toronto, San Francisco, Reykjavik, and Vienna, but none can be compared to Paris. Paris is in a class all by itself. And they're all worthy in their own right and in their own way. Perhaps if you study some Spanish history and learn about modern Spanish culture and society before you visit, your trip would be much more meaningful and rewarding. It was for me. I enjoyed the Palacio Real more than Versailles simply because I was able to visit with no crowds – Versailles in summer is a nightmare. And the Prado – there isn't a better painting gallery in all of Europe...period. I would think an artist would fall in love with Spain (not just Madrid) – Velasquez, El Greco, Goya, Picasso, Dali, Miro (just to name a few) apparently appreciated it quite a bit. The tapas bars - so much fun! I can't wait to return!

I've lived in both Paris and Madrid, and love them both. Of course, Paris is bigger and, by far, the more cosmopolitan of the two. Madrid is friendlier and more boisterous. Paris has its inimitable sidewalk cafes. Madrid, its wonderful tapas bars. Paris is much older, but during the Second Empire, Baron Haussmann's renovations destroyed most of the city's medieval landscape. Madrid was an afterthought until Philip II, perched 30 miles away in El Escorial, made it his capital. But the city languished until the 18th century, when Philip V, a Frenchman who had seen the light of day in the Palais de Versailles, built the Palacio Real, a masterpiece of nostalgia. I prefer the Palacio Real, if only because it wasn't, as Versailles was, ransacked during the Revolution. Thanks to generation after generation of furnishings, it has a lived-in feel about it that Versailles, for all its grandeur, lacks. Both cities are pedestrian paradises. I can think of no greater joy than that of strolling through the Marais or down the Boulevard St. Germain, or wandering through the monuments of Pere Lachaise. The Plaza del Sol (all torn up for construction the last time I was there) and its adjacent pedestrian streets are equally enthralling, as is the Parque del Retiro and the Fuencarral neighborhood north of the Plaza de Espana. Paris allows you to make day trips to 16th and 17th century gems like Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte. Madrid is a hop and a skip from Toledo, Segovia, Avila and the 18th century royal retreat of Aranjuez. But as at least one of your respondents pointed out, it's really about the people, not the buildings. That's where a command of the language matters. I don't know whether you speak French or Spanish. What I do know is that people tend to open up when you make the effort. And when they do open up, it makes everything else so much better.
Mateo