Madrid is the capital of Spain and a hot tourist destination. The first thing that comes to the minds of people when they about Madrid is bullfighting which is an ancient tradition of arousing anger in bulls and then making men ride on them trying to control them. However, Madrid is not just bullfighting and the city has much to offer to the tourists of all hues. The historic sites, the art galleries, museums, Spanish cuisine, the natural beauty of the city, and a vibrant night life are some of the prominent reasons why Madrid attracts millions of tourists from all parts of the world. Why then the symbol of Madrid is a bear and a tree? This is one question that is hard to answer even by the residents of this great and ancient city. Let us take a closer look.

First the accommodation in Madrid as it is the most important aspect of your accommodation in this city.  In the last few years, the tariffs in hotels in the city have skyrocketed making it difficult for the tourists to maintain their budget on a vacation. This has given rise to the trend of renting out apartments to the tourists and erecting apartments just for the purpose of letting them to visitors coming to the city for short time periods. Apartments Madrid are easy to book and are considerably cheaper than hotel rooms.  It is the same as with apartments in Barcelona or apartment Berlin if you happen to be in the German capital.

Centrally located square, the Plaza Puerta del Sol is perhaps the busiest square in Madrid and also a good starting point to explore the city. Translated in English, Puerta del Sol means Sun Gate and is home to many important structures in Madrid. The most important of these structures is a statue of a bear and a tree that is called the symbol of Madrid. The Spanish name of the structure is El Oso y El Madrono. Madrono refers to a tree that belongs to the species of strawberries. Not many know that the bear is a female one that symbolizes the fertility of the soil of Madrid. Tree also happens to be a symbol, that of aristocracy of Spain.

The statue is really heavy as it weighs nearly 20 tonnes. Most countries of the world have their symbols that seem to be related with the culture or history of that country. But why would a country choose as unusual a symbol as a tree and a bear? In ancient times, Madrid had a lot of bears but because of hunting, there is hardly a beer to be seen in an around the city. However, there are many who believe that bear is a symbol for the fertile soil of the city while the strawberry tree symbolizes aristocracy of Spain. Whatever may the history or reason behind this statue, bear and tree have become very popular and tourists come from all parts of the world to see it from close quarters.

The brewing of beer in Brussels has its origins in the Middle Ages and today its varieties are so many that one find it hard to make a choice. There is the Flemish red beer, the pale lager, the lambic beer and there is even Christmas beer. The country has almost 180 breweries, which includes breweries in the small pubs to the large international beer breweries based in Belgium. Compared to the rest of the countries in Europe, only Germany, the United Kingdom and France have more breweries. Those who love statists have estimated that each Belgian drinks almost 100 liters of beer each year on average.

The beers in Belgium are many kinds, so if you happen to visit Brussels and you are a beer enthusiast, try at least half a dozen of these beer types. The first beer that will be presented here is the Amber ales, which is quite popular in the city of Antwerp. The light version of the pale ale is the blond or the golden ale. Among the most popular of these is the Duvel beer. There are also brown ale beer and champagne beer; there is also this dubbel brown beer, which is a classic one. One should also not miss the Flemish Red beer, which is quite a strong beer with a deep red-brown color and a sour and fruity taste.

Since Belgium is a country with so much beer being produced, it is only natural that the cities and especially the capital Brussels is so full of pubs. The pubs here are called cafes, so one should not be surprised. The beers vary in taste and in color, in levels of alcohol, in style, etc. There are even special beer tours around Brussels for those who want to learn more about the beer produced here and who want to check some f the finest pubs… well, cafes to drink beer.

It is really curious to find out that the beer is actually made of four ingredients like water, grain, hops and yeast, but that it could be of so many types, depending on the brewing process, which is quite different from one brewery to another. Breweries have secrets when the brewing process is concerned and this is just normal. Among the most important beer types that one could try in Brussels are lager beer Pils, which is a table beer in the country and it makes almost 75 % of the production of ales in Belgium. Pils beer is smooth and light and its most popular brand is Stella Artois. A beer that is more spicy and strong is the Saison beer, which is made at the small breweries. Another type of beer that definitely arises the attention is the Lambic Beer, which is a very special beer with strange fermentation – it could be three months and it could be three years. So, if you want to order such beer, you will be asked whether you want a young Lambic beer or a mature one. It usually comes with a fruit flavor.