Madrid's most amazing museums and cultural spaces

Located on the superb Paseo del Arte, a shady boulevard designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2021, the Prado National Museum is housed in a remarkable 18th-century building. It is one of the world's most important art galleries, with the richest collection of Spanish paintings from the 12th to the 19th century, housed in an area of over 40,000 m²!

The permanent exhibition includes works by El Greco, Sorolla, Velásquez, Ribera, Zurbarán, Murillo and Goya. The great Italian masters include Titian, Tintoretto, Raphael and Botticelli. There is also an impressive collection from the Flemish school, with paintings by Van Der Weyden, Van Dyck and Bosch.

In addition to the famous and emblematic "Las Meninas" by Velázquez and "The Shootings of 3 May", "La Maja vestida" and "La Maja desnuda" by the committed painter Goya, don't miss "The Triumph of Bacchus" in the Velázquez collection.

Practical information:

• 📍: Paseo del Prado, 8, 28014 Madrid
• 🚌: By public transport: take the Madrid Metro line L2 to the "Banco de España" or "Sevilla" stop.
• ⏰: every day from 10am to 7pm, except Mondays, from 10am to 4pm.
• 👛: €9 concessions and €13 standard admission.

Also located on the Paseo del Arte, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza houses a collection considered to be one of the most important private collections of works of art in the world. The gallery brings together almost a thousand paintings, offering a journey through the history of art, from the Italian and Flemish primitives of the Renaissance to Pop Art, French Impressionism and German Expressionism.

Among the highlights are Rubens' famous 'Venus and Cupid', Picasso's 'Harlequin in the Mirror' and Christus' 'Virgin of the Dry Tree'.

Practical information

• 📍: Paseo del Prado, 8, 28014 Madrid
• 🚌: By public transport: take the Madrid Metro line L2 to the "Banco de España" or "Sevilla" stop.
• ⏰: every day from 10am to 7pm, except Mondays, from 10am to 4pm.
• 👛: €9 concessions and €13 standard admission.
• 👉Website

The third national museum on the Paseo del Arte, the Reina Sofia Art Museum houses a permanent collection of modern Spanish art in a vast building flanked by an interior courtyard. As well as Picasso's famous masterpieceGuernica, there are paintings by Miró, Dalí, Tàpies and Solana. The museum organises numerous temporary exhibitions of painting, sculpture, video, photography and film.

Practical information

• 📍 Calle de Santa Isabel, 5 228 012
• 🚌 By public transport: take Madrid Metro line L1 to the "Estación del Arte" stop or line L3 "Lavapiés" station.
• ⏰ Mondays and Wednesday to Saturday: 10am to 9pm. Sundays: 10am to 2.30pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
• 👛: Between €15 and €18.
• 👉 Website

Editor's tip :

Download the "Paseo del Arte must-sees" application. Thanks to it, you can find the twenty-four great masterpieces on display in the three museums on the Paseo del Arte: the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

👉Thelink

Located in the heart of the historic centre, La Caixa Forum offers music, poetry and multimedia festivals, as well as numerous exhibitions of ancient and modern art. This former power station, now converted into a museum by the architects Herzog & de Meuron, is a perfect blend of tradition and modernity.

Inaugurated in 2007, the Caixa Forum catches the eye of visitors with its original facade covered with a lawn adorned with flowers. Located a stone's throw from the Prado Museum and the Botanical Gardens, and open every day from 10am to 8pm, it exhibits original collections of contemporary art free of charge.

Practical information

• 📍: Paseodel Prado, 36, 28014 Madrid
• 🚌 Madrid Metro line L1, "Atocha" or "Estación del Arte" stop
• 👛 General admission: €6
• ⏰ Monday to Sunday and public holidays, 10am to 8pm
• 👉 Website

Located in the remarkable Palacio de Cibeles, seat of Madrid's City Council, the CentroCentro cultural centre offers a programme of artistic activities dedicated to cities in general and Madrid in particular. It comprises several exhibition halls, including the building's former chapel and an auditorium, all devoted to art of all kinds: design and illustration, architecture and urban planning, poetry and literature, fashion and the visual arts.

A true space for intercultural encounters, it is also an incredible Madrid stage for citizens and visitors looking for exhibitions, concerts, workshops, shows and screenings, among other things.

The exterior and interior architecture of the former Telecommunications Palace alone is reason enough to discover this key venue in the capital's cultural life!

Practical information

• 📍 Plaza de Cibeles, 128 014
• ⏰ Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 8pm. Closed Mondays, 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24, 25, 31 December. Last admission 15 minutes before closing time.
• 👛 €3 full price. 2.50 concessions (proof required).
• 🚌By public transport: take line L2 of the Madrid Metro, "Banco de España" stop.
• 👉 Website

Located in Madrid's former slaughterhouse, on the banks of the Manzanares river, this neo-Mudejar-style complex of warehouses is a unique little city dedicated to culture. This is an area not to be missed during your stay in the Spanish capital.

You can attend screenings, shows, concerts, transmedia productions and documentaries, among others. At the AVAM, artists come to present their works or projects to the public and their peers. Finally, the plaza y la Calle Matadero brings together cultural activities organised in the open air.

Practical information:

• 📍 Plazade Legazpi, 828 045
• 🚌 By public transport: use the Madrid Metro, with line L3 or line and L6 and get off at "Legazpi" station.
• ⏰Tuesday to Thursday 5pm - 9pm Closed on Mondays. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays 12pm - 9pm.
• 👛 Free admission.
• 👉 Website

Located near the Puerta del Sol, the Museum of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando was born of the desire of the painter Antonio Meléndez to found an Academy of Decorative Arts, Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.

Today, the gallery houses over 1,400 paintings, 600 sculptures and 15,000 drawings of Spanish, Italian and Flemish art, as well as an exceptional collection of decorative arts including tapestries, ceramics, porcelain, clocks and furniture, among others.

Practical information

• 📍 Calle de Alcalá, 13, 28014 Madrid
• 🚌 By public transport: by Metro, take line 2 and get off at "Banco de España" or "Sevilla" station. With lines 1 and 3, get off at "Sol" station.
• ⏰ Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm, including public holidays. Closed on Mondays.
• 👛 €5 concessions. 9€ normal rate.
• 👉 Website

Located in the heart of the Salamanca district, the National Archaeological Museum houses one of the world's most important archaeological collections. The MAN offers a historical overview of the different cultures of the Mediterranean basin, from prehistoric times to the 19th century.

You can admire pieces such as Greek ceramics, including a collection of Greek amphorae considered by specialists to be one of the best preserved in the world. The centrepiece of the MAN's collection is the Iberian work known as "** The Lady of Elche**", depicting, for some, a goddess and, for others, a queen or princess.