Madrid Avenida Del Arte

Museo Nacional Reina Sofía, C. Santa Isabel, 52 (☎91 774 10 00; www.museoreinasofia.es), This public collection of 20th-century art has burgeoned since Juan Carlos I declared the building a national museum in 1988 and named it after his wife. The building is a work of art in itself, with two futuristic-looking glass elevators ferrying visitors up and down the museum as they look north over the skyline. The museum's 10,000-piece collection of paintings, sculptures, installation pieces, and film is amazing by anyone's standards. The second and fourth floors are mazes of permanent exhibits charting the Spanish avant-garde and contemporary movements. If that's not for you, the second-floor galleries dedicated to Juan Gris, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dalí display Spain's vital contributions to the Surrealist movement. If you're pressed for time, make sure not to miss Pablo Picasso's T Guernica, the highlight of the Reina Sofía's permanent collection and the centerpiece of its knockout Gallery 206. Make sure to read ab Atocha. €6, ages 17 and under and over 65 free Sa afternoon and Su. Temporary exhibits €3 €6, temporary exhibitions €3. Open M 10am-9pm, W-Sa 10am-9pm, Su 10am-2:30pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Paseo del Prado, 8 (☎91 369 01 51; www.museothyssen.org), Unlike the Prado and the Reina Sofía, the Thyssen-Bornemisza covers international art from many periods: exhibits range from 14th-century canvases to 20th-century sculptures, and its collection encompasses periods of art overlooked by the other two. The museum is housed in the 19th-century Palacio de Villahermosa and contains the collection of the late Baron Henrich Thyssen-Bornemisza. Today, the museum is the world's most extensive private showcase. Take advantage of the spread by checking out its Baroque collection that includes pieces by Caravaggio, Riber, and Claude Lorraine. Also, don't forget to explore the Impressionist, Fauvist, and early avant-garde pieces that paved the way to modern art as we know it today. To be honest, there's too many famous artists to namedrop—just come here to be wowed and won over by its gigantic collection. From the Prado, walk straight north up the Paseo Del Prado. Museum is at the corner of Carrera de San Jeronimo and Paseo Del Prado. €7, children under 12 free. Open Tu-Su 10am-7pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.
Museo Nacional Del Prado, C. Ruiz de Alarcón, 23 (☎34 91 330 2800; www.museodelprado.es), With its Goyas and El Grecos, Rembrandts, Raphaels, and Rubens, the Prado has enough alliterative artistic awesomeness to make the Louvre look not so special after all. Organized by country, the ground floor houses Spanish (12th to 16th century), French, Dutch, and Italian (17th-19th century) works. While Let's Go recommends that you spend a few hours here, if you're in a rush, be sure to catch the can't-miss works. Velázquez ‘s masterpiece T Las Meninas, considered one of the finest paintings in the world, captures a studio scene centered on the Infanta Margarita. Velásquez himself stares out from behind his easel in the left side of the painting. It may look like just another picture of wealthy Spaniards in big dresses, but this piece has been praised as the culmination of Velázquez's career—a meditation on reality, art, illusion, and the power of easel painting. That pouting dog in the corner looks a lot more pr Banco de España and Atocha. From Atocha, walk north up Paseo del Prado; the museum will be on your right just past the gardens. Free entry Tu-Sa 6-8pm, Su 5-8pm. Consult website for up-to-date schedule. €8, students €4, under 18 and over 65 free. Open Tu-Su 9am-8pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.
Real Jardín Botánico, Plaza de Murillo, 2 (☎91 420 30 17; www.rjb.csic.es/jardinbotanico/jardin), The perfect place to rest after a visit to the Prado, this small garden is full of well-kept flowers and exotic collections. Sit in the shade on one of the many benches of this oasis in the middle of Madrid's museum district as you ruminate on the countless pieces of art you just cranially ingested. Next door to the Prado. €2.50, students €1.25, groups €0.50. Open daily Jan-Feb 10am-6pm; Mar 10am-7pm; Apr 10am-8pm; May-Aug 10am-9pm; Sept 10am-8pm; Oct 10am-7pm; Nov-Dec 10am-6pm. Does not take credit cards. No wheelchair access. Has outdoor seating.