Reina Sofia, Madrid

Name – Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina  Sofía / National Museum Centre of Art Reina Sofía

Type – modern art
Location – Calle de Santa Isabel, 52, Madrid, Spain ‎

Web site – http://www.museoreinasofia.es/en
Intro – The last of the Golden Triangle to describe and the last one I visited. It is big, it is rich, it is well-prepared and well-governed. Of course, it host a lot of great modern and contemporary art, which might be difficult to understand, but descriptions were present in all cases. Also, helpful staff knew quite a lot and was happy to answer questions. One can also ask for a special assistant who will help to comprehend Reina Sofia’s collection. It is the second most visited Spanish museum, but no one can say it’s crowded (well, maybe except when the admission is free and everyone runs to see famous Guernica. That, however, is the case with all museums. Museum is located in two adjacent buildings, both of them of 5 stores. Also a shop, a cafeteria and a library are available. There is also a pleasant patio with few sculptures (incl. Miró’s Moon Bird). The museum feels empty at times, but it usually is a nice break from the excellent art. It is yet another must-visit place in Madrid! Highly recommended!

Pros (+):

• great collection of modern art
• big, but not too packed
• space!
• real centre of art
• free for students and during evenings
• long opening hours (10 AM – 9 PM)

Cons (-):

• buildings seems a bit empty
• it is possible to get lost as some escalators go only up

Prices – General admission – €8, Temporary exhibitions – €4, 50% of reduction for groups, free for students
Accessibility – good, elevators present
Fun facts/Trivia – taking pictures allowed everywhere except of Picasso’s Guernica and works of Joan Miró
Nearby – Retiro Park with the Crystal Palace, Atocha Train Station (with a small botanical garden)
Score –

 

 

Gallery –

Picasso

Dali

5th floor patio

Lichtensteiner

Prado, Madrid, Spain

Name – Museo del Prado / Prado Museum

Type – art
Location – Paseo del Prado, s/n, Madrid, Spain

Web site – http://www.museodelprado.es/en
Intro – Prado. Another museum of the Gold Triangle from Madrid. Much, much bigger than nearby Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, but this time bigger does not mean better. I have to say it is an impressive museum, but too big to comfortably visit. Even though you get a map of museum with highlights, you can get easily lost. And there is too much to see. I guess the solution would be to visit it few consecutive days each time spending only 2-3 hours; then, on the other hand, Madrid has much more to offer than just Prado. Even though the collection has some famous paintings, like Mayas by Goya, it is not very diverse and practically stop with XVIII-XIX century. It is, of course, a great place to see the best Spanish paintings, but except of that it was a bit disappointing. Another problem is that there are quite a lot of guided tours, which then make it difficult to enjoy Prado if you are on your own. Also, it can be pretty packed with people, even despite spacious halls and rooms. Additionally, on some days the line to ticket offices is extremely long, while on others there is almost no one waiting. Good to visit, many say it’s must visit, but it didn’t stand to my high expectations.

Pros (+):

• very rich collection of classical paintings
• interesting temporary exhibitions
• free Wi-Fi in the lobby

Cons (-):

• too big
• too crowded
• collection less diverse than in other Madrid’s museums

Prices – General admission: 14 €, general admission + official guide: 23 €, reduced price: 7 € (e.g. seniors 65+), free for students and during evenings (see the website for more details)
Accessibility – good, elevators present
Fun facts/Trivia –
Nearby – Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, Caixa Forum, Retiro Park, church of San Jerónimo el Real
Score –

Gallery –

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain

Name – Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

Type – art
Location – Paseo del Prado, 8, Madrid, Spain

Web site –  http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/home
Intro – It was the first museum I visited in Madrid. And I think I couldn’t choose better. Conveniently located, not too big (which is definitely an advantage!) museum welcomed me nicely. The ticket was relatively cheap, just €6 for a student (you can buy the €25 ticket for the three museum of the Golden Triangle, but that’s not worth it if you’re a student with a valid and recognizable ID). Collection is in two joined buildings and is being viewed from top to the bottom, more or less being placed chronologically. I really liked the selection of pieces, with some being really famous. They had quite a big collection of Flemish painting. The fact this museum was not as huge as Prado only made it possible to actually see all pieces in a reasonable time of just few hours. The Thyssen-Bornemisza museum is definitely equally good as Prado and Reina Sofia, if not better planned (I really enjoyed it more than the other two). Must see in Madrid!

Pros (+):

• nice, well-structured collection
• clear map available
• suggested viewing direction from top to bottom
• shop, restaurant and cafeteria available
• proximity of other museums of the Golden Triangle of Art (Prado, Reina Sofia) and of Retiro Park

Cons (-):

• some of the famous paintings not available

Prices – Adults – €9, Students and Seniors (65 years +) with valid ID – €6, Free on Mondays 12.00-16.00 and for kids under 12
Accessibility – good, elevators present
Fun facts/Trivia – there is another Thyssen museum in Malaga
Nearby – Prado, Reina Sofia, Atocha station, Retiro Park – great location among other interesting spots
Score –

Gallery –

Rembrandt van Rijn

Monet

Tatiana Glebova – Prison

Yours truly enjoying Roy Lichtenstein’s piece