Museo Nacional del Prado

For those who truly love and appreciate art, but also for those who don't, the Museo del Prado is an incredible place from inside out, a real palace where art and history remain for almost two centuries now. The architecture of the museum is outstanding, really impressive, but the best aspect without a doubt is the enormous collection of sculptures and paintings. A day is not enough to truly discover every amazing piece at the Prado, so choose two or three rainy or cloudy days of your vacation to immerse yourself in this world full of wonders. Don't miss Las Meninas by Velázquez, and other amazing work by this painter, as well as Goya, Rubens and El Greco.

Although I'm not super into art myself, this is a beautiful museum filled with many famous, original artworks. I can appreciate the talent of the artists, such as El Greco and Velazquez, who depict so much of Spanish history and culture in cooperation with their art. A must-see while in Madrid, even if you don't like art.

Again I’m not an arts person but being at this museum makes me want to be one. There’s a lot of art here by very famous artists, and the Spanish all go to this museum with the tourists. Even if looking at artwork is boring to you, there’s so much in here that its easy to just move to room from room and get a feel for the artwork and call it your culture for the day. The Prado’s a really nice museum, and its impressive that Spain has such a collection of all its artists it has to be proud of.

I was in Spain on an exchange trip for a summer at the end of high school and loved it. Since it was so long ago (and also since I was suddenly in a country where I could drink), I’m a bit fuzzy on a lot of the trip, but the Prado was one of the highlights. The exterior is incredible, and the paintings themselves are obviously amazing, but, as is so often the case with a major art museum, there’s simply too much to take in all at once. You’ll have to visit multiple times to really see everything. And as long as you’re on a museum kick, check out the Reina Sofía (Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía), where the focus is more on Spanish art. I loved their Picasso collection (particularly La Guernica, which is truly awe-inspiring), and this was my first introduction to Joan Miró, who I now really like.

My only regret about the Prado is that I did not go back more times while I was in Madrid. This is definitely the best art museum in Madrid, if not in all of Spain. I love a lot of classical Spanish artists and there is (obviously) a ton of Spanish artwork in the Prado. I especially enjoyed Goya's dark, creepy work and El Greco's portraiture. If you are going to be in Madrid for several days and you are an art lover, you may want to plan more than one trip to the Prado.