Madrid is fast catching up with other European cities as a shopper's paradise. Giving particularly good value for the English pound, the city also lays on a feast of designer clothing, antiques, leather goods and ceramics.

The main shopping areas are divided over three districts. Large department stores such as El Corte Inglés can be found around the Puerta del Sol. Northwest of here, following the Paseo de la Castellana, is the Salamanca district. An elegant, well-heeled district, it is home to the very best of designer shops, such as Prada and Armani, plus homegrown talent like Sybilla and Josep Font. The quirkier, independent labels have found their home in the vicinity of the Chueca metro stop, a few minutes Northeast of the Plaza de Cibeles.

If you're lucky enough to be in Madrid on a Sunday morning then head over to the Calle de Ribera de Curtidores and surrounding streets for one of the most colourful flea markets in Europe, El Rastro. Selling everything you can think of it is probably not the best place to go with a precise object - and price - in mind, but you will discover a multitude of marvels, both old and new. Antique furniture and collectibles nestle alongside bootleg cassettes and random junk. Stick around after 2pm when the stalls make way for the weekly street party.