Prado Museum
Museo Nacional del Prado
One of the world’s top art museums. Velázquez’s “Las Meninas,” Goya’s “Black Paintings,” and Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” are all housed here.
The Prado opened in 1819 and is based on the Spanish royal collection. It is one of the most important collections of European painting in the world, especially strong in Spanish, Flemish and Italian works from the 12th to the 19th centuries, with more than 8,000 paintings. Must-see works include Velázquez’s “Las Meninas” (in Room 12, the heart of the museum) and “The Surrender of Breda.” Goya’s “The Nude Maja,” “The Clothed Maja,” “The Third of May 1808,” and the somber “Black Paintings” from his late years (including “Saturn Devouring His Son”) are also here. You will also find Bosch’s triptych “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” El Greco’s “The Knight with His Hand on His Chest,” and Rubens’ “The Three Graces.” The museum also has a rich collection of works by Titian, Tintoretto and Dürer. Tickets cost about 15 euros. Buy timed tickets in advance on the official site, museodelprado.es, to skip the queue. The museum is free during the last two hours before closing, but the line often wraps around half a block, and that time is not enough to see everything. It is best to check the official “top 50 works” route first, enter through the Goya Gate, and focus on the Velázquez and Goya galleries on the ground floor. This takes about 2–3 hours. Photography is not allowed inside. Banco de España station on metro line L2 or Atocha station on line L1 is about a 10-minute walk away. The museum forms the “Art Golden Triangle” with the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum. You can buy the Paseo del Arte pass (about 32 euros) to visit all three. The Retiro Park is right behind the museum, so you can rest there after your visit.
Opening hours
Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00; Sun and public holidays 10:00–19:00; closed Jan 1, May 1 and Dec 25
Nearby sights
- Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid
- Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
- Plaza de Cibeles & Cibeles Palace
- Reina Sofía Museum
- Puerta de Alcalá
- El Retiro Park
- National Archaeological Museum
- Chueca