There are introverted cities. Madrid is not one of them. Yet, it is populated and visited by people who are. They deserve a contained Madrid, with chosen social interactions, a Madrid of short distances and long breath. Madrid, like any infinite city, holds within it many cities and also one for these people who prefer to manage their social energy, who enjoy coffees in solitude and tranquil museums. If, in addition, we add autumn, the quintessential introverted season, we have a paradise.
Let us seek places where not only is being alone common, but it is even romantic. And those places have been invented for a century: they are hotel bars. Let us choose one, sit down with a coffee or a wine, and watch that grand theatre that is hotel life. We will settle into the Nômade Temple Madrid, which, in addition, provides us with reading through a good selection of books. The voyeur we carry inside will be happy watching life unfold through the windows facing Gran Vía. If we want to raise the stakes and feel worldly, we will do so under the dome of Mandarin Oriental Ritz, our Tiffany, where it seems that nothing bad can happen. And if we seek solitude, let us step into Urso Hotel&Spa. There, with soft lighting and plush armchairs, we will have a refuge.
It may sound like a cliché, but where an introvert truly enjoys themselves is among the pages. There, they buzz, pulse, live a thousand lives, and relate to others without being drained. A place to read is Galería Otrura, newly opened, because these people are fond of novelty. The selection of fashion, architecture, design, and literature magazines is overwhelming; you can have a coffee, smell indie perfume, and enjoy the flowers of Covadonga Villamil. The musical selection accompanies.
An introverted person is not an anchorite nor a misanthrope. They simply measure their social strength and aspire to own their time, space, and stimuli. It is, in this hormonally charged era of hearts and images and WhatsApp groups, almost anti-system. That is why museums, galleries, and art centers are suitable places to be with them while also enjoying solitude. We will choose the quietest ones. The María Cristina Masaveu Peterson Foundation and the Bank of Spain Collection (both free) share this season’s theme: textile art. The former exhibits pieces from its collection until July 18, 2027, and the latter does the same in El plano flexible (until March 28).
