The Art Walk

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Madrid

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Difficulty: Easy
Length: 0.7 miles / 1.1 km
Duration: Half day

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Overview: Known in Spanish as the Paseo del arte, this area is nothing short of paradise for art lovers. Along a stretch of just over one kilometre you will find the Prado -one of the world’s finest art galleries-, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofia, as well as a number of other institutions and buildings well worth visiting.

One day is nowhere near enough time to travel through over two thousand years of history, so we recommend you set aside at least two days for this tour of Madrid's Golden Triangle. If you are short of time, head for the Velázquez and Goya rooms in the Prado, the expressionist painting collection in the Thyssen-Bornemisza, and Pablo Picasso's Guernica, which hangs in the Reina Sofia.

Almost the entire Art Walk runs along Paseo del Prado, a wide, tree-lined avenue, home to some of the city’s best architecture since the times of Carlos III. Three beautiful fountains depicting Cibeles, Apollo and Neptune line this boulevard designed by José de Hermosilla, the architect behind many of Madrid’s most striking buildings. CentroCentro, located in Plaza de Cibeles at the beginning of Paseo del Prado, is a great starting point from which to explore the Art Walk.

Tips: Our tour starts on Plaza de Cibeles. To get to the square you can take the Metro (line 2) to Banco de España or, if your hotel is centrally located, make your way on foot.
Madrid is generally a safe city, but we suggest you keep an eye on your belongings at all times, in particular in crowded areas.

Although this route is not particularly long and can easily be done on foot, we recommend you wear comfortable footwear and carry a bottle of water, in particular during hotter months. In summer it is also advisable to wear sunscreen and a hat.

If time is not on your side, you can always hop on the Madrid City Tour sightseeing bus which will take you past many of the landmarks included in this route.

For any of the three big museums you'll need at least a whole morning. If you are planning on visiting all three and you are not entitled to any discounts, it's worth buying the Art Walk Card (Tarjeta del Paseo del Arte), which is sold in all the museums. Keep in mind though that entry to both the Prado and the Reina Sofía is free at certain times and on certain dates. If you are thinking of visiting other sights you may want to consider purchasing the MadridCard sightseeing pass, which provides free entry to many museums and monuments as well as special discounts at a large number of shops and restaurants. You can buy your card at the Madrid Shop, located in the Plaza Mayor Tourist Center where they will be happy to give you all the tourist information you need.

If you've enjoyed this route we suggest you sign up for one of the Official Guided Tours at the Plaza Mayor Tourist Center. For more information go to www.esMADRID.com

Points of Interest

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Palacio de Cibeles

The stunning Palacio de Cibeles, designed by Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi, was for many years the headquarters of the Spanish Post Office. Today it not only serves as the city hall (Ayuntamiento) but it is also home to the CentroCentro cultural centre, which is open to the public and hosts interesting exhibitions revolving around the theme of urban life. Don't leave without making your way up to the roof terrace to enjoy a spectacular view of the Madrid skyline.

Plaza de Cibeles s/n.

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Fuente de Cibeles

The fountain depicting Cybele, the Roman goddess of fertility and agriculture, and flanked by the famous lions that represent Hippomenes and Atalanta, is surrounded by four impressive buildings: Palacio de Cibeles, Palacio de Linares (now the Casa de América cultural institute), Palacio de Buenavista (the Spanish Army Headquarters), and the Banco de España building. The fountain, which was designed by Ventura Rodríguez and is located where Paseo del Prado meets Calle de Alcalá, once stood facing in the direction of Madrid’s most famous museums.

Olaza de Cibeles s/n

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Fuente de Apolo

The Apollo fountain, representing the Roman god of the arts, was also designed by Ventura Rodríguez. It is located in the middle of Paseo del Prado. Palacio de la Bolsa, Madrid's stock exchange building, can be seen from here, as can Plaza de la Lealtad, with its obelisk commemorating the fallen for Spain. The ashes of the Madrileños who fought against the French on 2 May 1808 are contained in an urn at the base of this war memorial.

Paseo del Prado, s/n.

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Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

To your right, you will see Palacio de Villahermosa, a neoclassical building housing the renowned Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, whose permanent collection traces the history of European painting from the Middle Ages through to the late 20th century. Its collections include works by such great artists as Van Eyck, Caravaggio, Canaletto, Frans Hals, Monet, Pissarro, Van Gogh and Hopper. The Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza collection is housed in an adjacent building, and displays important works by Spanish artists of the 19th century and early 20th century, as well as a cornucopia of Impressionist paintings.

Paseo del Prado, 8.

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Fuente de Neptuno

A little further along Paseo del Prado you come across the avenue's third fountain which depicts the Roman god of the sea. Two of the city’s most long-established and lavish hotels overlook this monument which was also designed by Ventura Rodriguez: the Palace and the Ritz. It is in these two hotels that many of the most famous figures of the 20th and 21st centuries have stayed during their visit to Madrid, including Frank Sinatra, Princess Grace of Monaco, Orson Welles and Julia Roberts. Also looking out over the Neptune fountain are the Thyssen-Bornemisza and Prado museums.

Plaza de las Cortes s/n.

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Museo Nacional del Prado

The Prado Museum opened for the first time on November 10, 1819. Thanks to the support of María Isabel of Braganza, the wife of King Fernando VII, it was decided that the building Juan de Villanueva had originally designed to house the Natural History Cabinet would accommodate an important part of the royal collections. Now home to works from the Spanish, Italian and Flemish schools and such masterpieces as Velázquez's Las Meninas and Goya's The 3rd of May 1808, the Prado is regarded as one of the most important art galleries in the world.
We recommend you read a guidebook to prepare for your visit. Make sure you spend at least a full morning or afternoon at the museum, but don't attempt to see the whole permanent collection in one day.

Paseo del prado, s/n.

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Real Jardín Botánico

Designed 250 years ago, Madrid's Botanical Garden is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a quiet stroll. Declared Artistic Garden in 1942, it boasts over 6,000 species of plants from across the globe including cacti from the Namibian desert, fruit trees, rose bushes and olive trees. It also houses a library and an archive with almost 10,000 drawings, as well as a herbarium comprising more than a million plants.

Plaza de Murillo, 2.

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CaixaForum

Cross back over to the other side of Paseo del Prado to discover the newest kid on the Art Walk. This socio-cultural centre hosts cutting-edge exhibitions, music and poetry festivals, multimedia art shows, debates on current affairs, social conferences and family and educational workshops. Redesigned by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the eye-catching building which once housed the former Mediodía Electric Power Station is an example of 19th century industrial architecture. Its unique brick and galvanised metal plate design appears to challenge the laws of gravity.
The vertical garden by the entrance, designed by French artist Patrick Blanc, is quite breathtaking.

Paseo del Prado, 36.

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Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía

Opposite the train station stands another of the city’s landmarks and top museums. The innovative, deep red extension was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. The 2005 renovation project allowed the museum to incorporate another 25,000 m2, adding 60% to the original space of the Former Madrid General Hospital, designed by Francisco Sabatini, which in 1992 was transformed into this prestigious art centre.

The museum's collection has recently been reorganised, but its mission remains the same: to showcase the artistic avant-gardes of the international art scene and to promote contemporary Spanish artistic production. Works by Juan Gris, Miró, Dalí, Tàpies and Chillida compete daily with one of Madrid's main attractions: Picasso’s Guernica (room 6)

Calle de Santa Isabel, 52.

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Estación de Atocho

Madrid’s main train station hides within its walls a beautiful tropical garden. Protected by a glass and wrought-iron roof which acts as the perfect greenhouse, it is located in a former terminal which was completely transformed when the station underwent huge renovations to accommodate the new AVE high-speed train. Spreading out over 4000m2, the garden houses 7200 plants from 260 different species that are originally from America, Asia and Australia.
Make sure to make your way to the pond for a little turtle and fish spotting.

Glorieta del Emperador Carlos V, s/n.