Another visit that was high on the list of things to do in Madrid…read more I bought passes that came with an English guide. I enjoyed having that, but you could easily come through on your own without a guide and be fine. Our guided tour was about 90 minutes, but you could also stay as long after as you desired. We ended up staying about another hour to catch some of the things the tour didn't stop at. Note that you cannot take photos inside. It also seems to get pretty busy early, so it might be a good idea to go fairly early or closer to closing. Would highly recommend the Prado.

I know the Prado is acclaimed as one of the world's best museums, and its global reputation rests…read moreon the depth of classic European paintings from the 12th to the 19th century. No argument about that, but unlike the Louvre, it doesn't offer the breadth of art one would expect from such a vaunted museum. The curators apparently have no interest in expanding their collection because it engenders unmanageable foot traffic. That also explains why photography is prohibited in the galleries. I ended up buying postcards to have a visual remembrance of my favorite masterpieces collected by centuries of Spanish royalty. Consequently, the Spanish masters are represented by familiar masterworks like Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) by Diego Velázquez (Photo 4), as well as The Naked Maja and The Family of Carlos IV (Photo 7), both by Francisco de Goya. Other European masterworks are represented like the impressive Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch (Photo 6) and The Judgment of Paris by Peter Paul Rubens. Beyond this scope, there are intriguing artifacts to peruse like the Leoni Renaissance Sculptures (Photo 3). Truth be told, you need to add the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Museo Reina Sofía to get a more complete picture of Madrid's artful treasures. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/ElhwJIbGWS

The palace is absolutely beautiful, but it's currently fully under construction. You aren't able to…read moreenter and there's a lot of scaffolding blocking the beautiful views of the large glass windows.

Located inside el Parque del Retiro, this 19th-century conservatory means more to us than the art…read moreexhibit it is currently used for. Though it was closed for renovation when we were there in April 2024, it is OUR special place where we exchanged our first set of rings with intentionality. If in Madrid, come for the nature walk and live music, the beautiful and lush ambience, and the fountain backdrop.

The last time Jamie W and I vacationed in Madrid over 15 years ago, we made the big mistake of…read moretrying to squeeze this museum and the Prado into the same afternoon. We had to race through the Reina Sofia without allowing the requisite time to appreciate the masterworks constantly hidden by the crowds. We didn't make the same mistake last week and decided to focus a full afternoon here. There was no avoiding the long line that snaked around the plaza even though we bought the 32,8€ Paseo del Arte passes which covers all three of Madrid's essential museums. We still had to redeem our passes to get our museum tickets. It only took about 25 minutes before we made the beeline to the museum's spotlight masterwork, Picasso's "Guernica" on the second floor. Viewing was packed and unmovable, but it's still the definitive visualization of the horrors of war made striking by the monochromatic palette (Video 1). The building was once an 18th-century hospital before it became an art museum as recently as 1988. It houses Spain's most significant collection of 20th-century art. Along with Picasso, other contemporary masters are also on display here. Artists represented include Salvador Dali (Photos 3 & 5), Joan Miro (Photo 2), and Rene Magritte (Photo 7). Up on the third floor is even more contemporary art dating back only to 1975 including works by Andy Warhol (Photo 6) and Robert Mapplethorpe (Photo 4). This was our favorite of Madrid's Golden Triangle which includes the Prado and the Thyssen-Bornemisza. Definitely take your time perusing. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/qwUK6nAE-z

I was very excited for my visit here as I wanted to see a Picasso piece in person, as well as take…read morein some more modern contemporary art. They had great pieces and I enjoyed my time. The staff were friendly and helpful with my questions and the museum was clean. I was disappointed to find that both the garden and third floor were closed the day I visited, so I felt like I missed out on some things.

Of the three museums that make up Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art, this is the one people tend to…read moreforget. Indeed this was the third big museum Jamie W and I visited since we didn't have enough time until our 4th day in Madrid. The museum's unpronounceable name doesn't help much. It also houses a broad collection of art that isn't as easy to categorize as the Prado (classical Spanish masters) and the Reina Sofía (contemporary 20th-century art). The museum spans eight centuries of Western art across four floors from 13th-century medieval works on the top floor to 20th-century pop art at the bottom. Richard Estes' Telephone Booths (Photo 8) and Charles Bell's Thunder Smash (Photo 9) are personal favorites of mine. In between are works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, as well as Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, German Expressionism, and Early Avant-Garde movements. The most familiar paintings are on the middle and main floors where works by Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Dalí, Degas, Manet and Hopper are spotlighted. Unlike the other two museums, this one started as a private collection amassed by two generations of one wealthy Hungarian-German family, which explains why it covers multiple genres not covered by the other two. Admission is 14€ or alternatively 32,8€ for the entire Golden Triangle of Art. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/P0_zGgWaQT

One of the golden triangle of Madrid art museums, you need three to four hours for this one. The…read morebest order, if possible, is the Prado the first day (which takes all day) because one can learn so much from the very detailed descriptions there that will help frame the order the art here is arranged in. The collection spans from a couple of pieces from the 13th century to contemporary, with especially good collections of Spanish medieval, Dutch masters, French impressionist, expressionist, cubist, modernism, post abstract realism, and 20th century sculpture. Although we bought tickets for all three when we went to the Prado, we found ourselves in line before Noon on free day Monday. The line was daunting it was so long, but once they opened we were in within about 20 minutes. The crowd wasn't as stifling as in the Prado, but worse than the Sofia, but you just don't want to miss this amazing art musuem just because it's too popular. Lots of sick people cough and sneezing, I would mask up.

Not sure whether to call this a museum or a gallery because it's not an official museum. For now…read morewe'll just say gallery. And man what a nice one it is! They hold several exhibitions at a time and though relatively small they are impactful. I saw the tattoo exhibit and it was very nicely curated. I learned a lot and it was great to see how tattoo culture is different all across the world. The caixa forum building is stunning! The staircase is a centerpiece in itself and the design is architecturally stunning. I was left with a really great impression of this place!

What a cool space! There were a few rotating exhibits and art shows in this museum but the real…read morestar of this place is the modern Spanish design (as well as the vertical garden outside). I really enjoyed wandering around this space. I visited around 10am when it opened and the place was mostly empty. There multiple floors of theaters and classrooms that were not in use and ALL were designed really really well. I particularly enjoyed the white, wavy staircase that was a gaudy-esque modern space. It is free to enter the building and visit the small gift shop and a few open spaces (like the restaurant upstairs). However, it was only 6 euros to visit both exhibits and well worth the price. Stop by this place!

I do not understand how the naval museum has only 25 reviews so hi! Let me tell you why you need to…read morevisit here: The museum is donation based, I gave 5€ because history. It's not as big of a museum as you might think walking in because when you think Spanish navy, you think armada, and so I was thinking it'd be in a bigger space than it is, but what space it is in, it's crammed full of artifacts and history. I loved seeing all the old flags and cannonry, it's definitely something you need to see if you're a history lover like me. The gift shop has some cute ornaments inside it too, def be sure to check those out!

Loved it. But, then, I love all military museums. The…read moreSpanish are very proud of their naval history. There are myriad models ranging from 200 years old to yesterday. It was not crowded. €6 for 2

Because nothing says Spanish like a 2nd-century Egyptian temple chilling in a park. Let's check it…read moreout. Found out this was a gift from Egypt, reassembled stone by stone. In the 1960s, Egypt was building the Aswan High Dam, which was going to flood a huge area full of ancient Nubian monuments. UNESCO launched an international campaign to help save them, and a bunch of countries, including Spain, stepped up with money, expertise, and support to relocate temples and preserve cultural heritage. As a thank-you, Egypt gifted the Temple of Debod to Spain in 1968. Other countries got temples too. Italy got the Temple of Ellesyia, the Netherlands got the Temple of Taffeh, and the U.S. got the Temple of Dendur, now in The Met in NYC. See? Kindness is rewarded. You'll get a temple.

Sunset at Temple De Bod is a daily celebration of life. As the sun's last rays cast down on the…read morecity, throngs of people do a pilgrimage to view the splendor.

What a gorgeous space in the middle of the park! And they have free art exhibits everyday. There's…read morean impressive modernism exhibit going on right now by some well-known Spanish painters; I'd seriously love to purchase some of the paintings if I were a bazillionaire.

not sure why this is called the "palacio de velazquez" as it's more of an exhibition hall/museum…read morefilled with works of spanish art. it is more of a temporary collection of works as they frequently rotate artists whose work is on display. when i visited, they had works that reflected american culture, as most of the subjects were african-americans in harlem, a neighborhood in new york city. this was not one of my favourite museums to visit in madrid, since i'd prefer to see works based in spain, or europe at least, since i live in the states and have easy access to works based in america. once again, another free museum and you can easily see everything in about 30 minutes.

So I love dec arts. I visited this museum for the first time…read more They had a wonderful show of jewelry by Chus Bures on the ground floor. BUT if you want to get into the 1st or second floor you must deposit your bag in the lockers. Not having a euro coin I could not do this. Even though No hablo espsanol, the lady spouted screeds of Spanish to me. WTF? It turns out only the ground floor was worth the visit. A very weird museum, with no climate controls. Do not go out of your way.