With famous attractions like museums, art galleries and historic sites it is no surprise that the Spanish capital Madrid is so popular. So why not combine the Champions League away match for the Werkself with a couple of tours around the multifaceted metropolis? weloveholidays offers Bayer 04 fans exclusive holiday deals for the match in Madrid – click HERE for further information. In addition, there are the following tips for optimum preparation for the away trip.
For people looking to get their step count up: Tourists and locals are to be found on the Puerta del Sol square in the heart of Madrid. It's the best place to discover the historic side of Madrid. From here you can reach the Plaza Mayor, another significant square, and the Plaza de España where famous skyscrapers and fountains await.
Real foodies get their money's worth at several markets in Madrid including the Mercado de San Miguel and the Mercado San Antón. Here there are numerous food stands you can visit to taste typical Spanish delicacies. Anyone who wants to experience the authentic Madrid lifestyle should definitely make their way through the Barrio de La Latina quarter with its narrow and winding side streets. Here there are countless tapas bars serving typical Spanish dishes.
For cathedral lovers: One of the biggest cathedrals in Europe is the Catedral de la Almudena. There are also lots of other churches and cathedrals to discover such as the Colegiata de San Isidro and the Real Basílica San Francisco el Grande, which has one of the biggest domes in Europe.
For palace fans: The Palacio Real is the royal palace in Madrid and a real feast for the eyes. This magnificent building is one of the biggest palaces in Europe and the residence of the Spanish royal family. Inside there are luxurious halls, ornate paintings and an impressive armoury. The wonderful Sabatini Gardens are definitely worth a visit as they are right next to the palace and offer a breathtaking view of the city.
Art lovers are in the perfect spot at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. The museum for modern art houses a number of works from Pablo Picasso. Madrid also has one of the most significant art museums in the world, the Museo del Prado containing over 4,000 works of art.
And time to relax: Ahead of the game it is worth taking a detour to Retiro Park where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the green surroundings. You can also go boating on the Lago Grande or visit the famous Glass Palace.
In their third friendly of this pre-season, Bayer 04 played on home soil for the first time – and won there too! The Werkself claimed a comfortable 4-0 victory against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion. Jeanuel Belocian (9’) and Nathan Tella (42’) gave a dominant Leverkusen a 2-0 lead at the break, which Afonso Moreira (51’) and Christian Kofane (53’) doubled after the break. Among the many second-half substitutions was Patrik Schick, who made his first friendly appearance of the summer.
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The Werkself are finally back. On Saturday 8 August, Bayer 04 kick off the 2026/27 campaign with their opening match. But there’s far more than just a double-header in store for Werkself supporters. True to the motto ‘One day. Two teams. One club’, the BayArena and the Ulrich Haberland Stadium will be transformed into a world of excitement.
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The Werkself continue their 2026/27 pre-season preparations with their third friendly against Belgian top-flight side KRC Genk at the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion on Wednesday 29 July (kick-off 15:00 CEST). Werkself-TV is broadcasting the match live and in full in a stream from 14:50 CEST...
After the children from the Bayer 04 Football Academy grilled Janis Blaswich and Simeon Rapsch last week, another group of 20 young Werkself fans gathered at the BayArena press conference room on Tuesday afternoon, 28 July . This time, the kids directed their questions at Tim Oermann and Jonah Berghoff. Defender Oermann raved about his school days, whilst talented midfielder Berghoff revealed to the young footballers, amongst other things, who his favourite player is – and he is also at Bayer 04. To round things off, the pair naturally obliged with all requests for autographs and selfies.
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Bayer 04 are back on the pitch. Following the first training sessions, the Werkself play the first pre-season friendly on Saturday, July 18. The match against Oberliga club Sportfreunde Baumberg kicks off at 15:30 CEST in Monheim am Rhein. Fans unable to attend the match can watch head coach Carles Martínez’s first game in charge for free via a livestream at bayer04.de and on the Bayer 04 app, as well as on Werkself.tv (exclusively for members). Just log on and watch the games live. All the other Werkself preseason friendlies leading up to the 2026/27 season will also be streamed live for free.
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