My personal advice to you is to start making plans to your Madrid visit at least a month earlier. The reason for this is because people love Madrid and ever year millions of tourist visit Spain’s capital.  Now I can’t tell you lots about hidden attractions but I know a few places that you might want to pay attention to. I understand if you are sick of the crowds and tourists, everyone talking on different language – it can be really annoying sometimes, it is true. This is why a couple of times when I was in other countries all over the world I was also asking for the so called “hidden attractions”.
My first advice if you want to do some sightseeing without crowds and lots of people is to rent an apartment. Forget about all those hotels because as you know most of the time they are full of tourists. I can recommend you a few nice Apartment in Milan but since I don’t know what your budget is and what type of amenities you want, I can tell you only to make a research on Internet and then you will find out everything you are looking for. Apartment in Madrid is not as hard to find as Berlin apartment or Istanbul apartment. This is why you won’t experience many difficulties.

Now let’s say a few words about the attractions. It is not really “hidden” but is definitely worth seeing – Puerta del Sol. You can start with it. Having in mind the fact that Madrid is considered to be a metropolis due to its almost 5 million population the center of the city is really compact. It is almost impossible to miss his attraction since it is situated in the very center. It is probably the most popular place where people meet – it doesn’t matter if they are tourists or locals.

Next place you should pay attention to is the stadium of Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabeu. You might not be a football fan but you will be amazed by the size of the stadium and the excitement of the crowd. The stadium is home to one of the best football teams all over the world – Real Madrid. This is the team which has won most trophies in the history of football.

Of course you can visit the old town of Madrid as well but I’m afraid that it doesn’t fit in the description of a “hidden attraction” because this is the place where probably every tourist will go. But anyway the old town is really beautiful and it has retained its cultural meaning and history. The best way to find attractions that are not that visit is to buy a guidebook from any local store and avoid visiting all of the place which are mentioned there. This will help you stay unnoticed and you won’t be bothered by crowds. Anyway I hope I have helped and wish you a great stay in Mardid.

Berlin, the capital of Germany, is a beautiful and large city in central Europe that is full of museums and castles. For those interested in historical sites and artifacts, these museums are a must visit places on any vacation to Germany. These castles are gigantic structures that were lavishly built and walking in these spacious structures, there is a feeling of romanticism and tourists get panoramic views of the city around from the top of these castles. This article is an attempt to talk about some castles in Berlin without which any visit to this pristine city is incomplete.

Schloss Glienicke
This is an imposing structure and a marvelous castle situated on the island of Wansee. Prince Carl of Prussia commissioned it in 1826. The castle has a classical style of architecture. It is interesting to note that the architect first designed it as a cottage but later rebuilt it as a summer residence for the prince. The castle has many lovely gardens with pavements for riverside and lake side walks. It provides mesmerizing views towards Havel River. The most famous feature of the palace is a huge fountain at the main entrance.

Spadauer Zitadelle
This is an impressive citadel in the city of Berlin. It was built in Renaissance style way back in 16th century. Unfortunately the old design got destroyed in 1813 and the fortress was rebuilt in classical style. It has been turned into a museum of history and various art exhibitions are held here every year.

Schloss Britz
This is a castle built in early 18th century and later made larger and imposing during the later part of the century. The castle was turned into Renaissance style later. The castle served as a home for children wh had been orphaned during the World war II. Today the building is used mainly for holding exhibitions and cultural meetings.

Prinzessinnenpalais
Also known as The Palace of the Princess, this castle is situated in central Berlin. The daughters of King Friedrich William III lived here for long period which is why it is called Palace of the Princess. It was also the residence of the royal family of Prussia for long time. The castle was unfortunately destroyed completely during WW II. It was later rebuilt and turned into a modern building housing cafes and restaurants.

Schloss Charlottenburg
Probably the most imposing and most popular castle in Berlin is Schloss Charlottenburg. Originally built in 17th century as a summer residence of King Fredric William I, the palace was fortified and made more lavish and imposing during the reign of Friedrich William II. The king made an orangery and a palace theater. A belvedere was later added in Rococo style made in porcelain. The palace is home to the graves of Queen Louise, King Friedrich Wilhelm III, Emperor Wilhelm I and Empress Augusta in a Neo classical Mausoleum. This castle got destroyed during World War II and was later rebuilt and turned into a museum.

This is not an exhaustive list and there are many more castles to explore in Berlin.