There are many great collections of art in the world such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Louvre in Paris and these will astound and amaze but for me there is one that always ranks alongside these great collections and that is the Prado in Madrid.

In truth Madrid has a great deal more to offer then The Prado alone and it is worth taking at least one day in this great capital city to see some of the greatest works of European and American art. Have an artful day by purchasing a Paseo del Arte Ticket which will give you a good saving on entrance to the three main galleries of Madrid. The ticket can be purchased at any of the galleries:

Museo Del Prado is one of the world’s greatest galleries with more masterpieces than any other, it also has the best collection of Spanish masters that you are likely to find anywhere (Velazquez, Goya, El Greco and Murillo) with the best known work probably being Las Meninas by Velazquez. At any one time over 75% of the galleries total works are not on display but you are always likely to find works by Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Rembrandt to name just a few.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm, Sunday and public holidays it is open from 9am until 2pm. It is also worth noting that the gallery is free on Saturday afternoon (after 2.30pm) and all day Sunday. It is closed all day on Monday. The closest metro station is Banco de Espana.

Museo Reina Sofia is home to the Picasso’s Guernica and contains almost every noted Spanish artist from the 20th century. Some of the best known artists celebrated here are Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Joan Miro, Salvador Dali and Julio Gonzales, but it has a huge range of works from many artists and only selects about 2% of the total collections to put on permanent display. It also has regular and interesting exhibitions.

The museum is open Monday and Wednesday to Saturday from10am to 9pm, Sunday it is open from 10am until 2.30pm. Again, entrance is free on Saturday afternoon (after 2.30pm) and all day Sunday. It is closed all day on Tuesday. The closest metro station is Atocha.

Museo Thyssen Bornemisza holds works of art from almost every significant artist in Western art from the 13th Century forward, both European and American. The museum displays them in chronological order so that it is possible to view early western art from its Gothic beginning, to the Renaissance through to Impressionism and surrealism.

The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 7pm, Sunday and public holidays it is open from 9am until 2pm. It is closed all day on Monday. The closest metro stations are Iglesia or Ruben Dario.


If this trio of museums does not satiate your hunger then there are also a number of smaller galleries throughout Madrid and a number of interesting sculptures scattered throughout the city. I think a visit to the Parquet del Buen Retiro, not far from the Prado museum, and home to the Palacio de Cristal is well worth it. Here you can see the fountain of the fallen angel, the sculpture, by Ricardo Bellver, represents Lucifer falling from heaven.

In my opinion there is no better way to enjoy an artful day than by taking some time out in the capital city of Spain and experiencing the wealth of art on display in its many galleries and museums.