Museums
Museo del Prado
The Prado Museum (Museo del Prado) is the biggest art museum in the world and one of Madrid's most famous attractions. It houses masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Zurbarán, Ribera, Titian, Raphael, Botticelli, Fra Angélico, Rubens, Bosch, Van der Weyden, Poussin, Lorrain, Watteau, Rembrandt, Dürer and Mengs.
Address: Edificio Villanueva, Paseo del Prado
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
This museum houses a splendid collection ranging from primitive Flemish to contemporary works. More than 800 paintings and sculptures, carvings, tapestries and other items are displayed.
Address: Paseo del Prado, 8
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
A cultural center containing a permanent collection of Spanish contemporary art and offering a wide variety of temporary exhibitions covering diverse modern artistic disciplines such as painting, sculpture, video, photography, films, etc.
Address: Calle Santa Isabel, 52
Real Academia de Bellas Artes
Madrid's Fine Arts Museum & Gallery (Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando) was established by Fernando VI in 1752. Picasso and Dali are former students of this arts academy, housed in the 18th century Goyeneche Palace just a short walk down the street from Puerta del Sol. The academy's gallery (or Fine Arts Museum) includes works by old masters such as Van Dyck and Rubens, and drawings by Raphael and Titian. Naturally, Spanish artists are well represented, with the highlight being magnificent works by El Greco, Velazquez, Murillo, Ribera and Zurbaran. Goya has an entire room devoted to him (he's one of the academy's former directors), and among several of his noteworthy works are his self-portrait painted in 1815.
Address: C/ Alcalá, 13, 28014 Madrid
Palacio Real
The royal palace is no longer used as a residence, but it has been kept intact since it last functioned as home to the king, primarily serving as a tourist attraction. The entire palace is not open to the public, but most of the more important rooms can be visited. The palace is interesting in its own right, in particular its architecture and gardens (there are two, the Jardines del Moro and the Sabattini gardens). There are also some excellent frescos inside the palace by Tiépolo, and paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Juan de Flandes and Caravaggio, among others.
