To really get to know a country and the way it ticks, its traditions and its art, there’s no better place to start than the museums.
Spain is a country that offers the cultural traveller a wide range of experiences and contains spectacular museums that will delight all tastes. To make your search a bit easier, here’s a list of the museums you must visit when you go to Spain:
The Golden Triangle of Art in Madrid
Museo Nacional del Prado (Prado Museum), Madrid: considered the king of museums in Spain, the Prado contains the most complete collection of Spanish paintings from the eleventh to seventeenth centuries, with such artists as El Greco, Goya, Rubens and Rembrandt on show here. There are also some of the most famous works of art in the world, including “Las Meninas” by Velázquez.
Centro de Arte Reina Sofia (Reina Sofia Modern Art Museum), Madrid: Exclusively dedicated to modernist and contemporary works, this museum is home to one of the greatest works of Spanish art: “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso, which alone is worth a visit, but there’s much more besides. The museum has works by other famous artists such as Dalí, Miró and Chagall.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum), Madrid: With the most important private art collection in Spain, collected by the Thyssen-Bornemisza family for seven decades, this museum stands as one of the essential stops for art lovers. It contains a wide range of artistic styles from Gothic to pop-art, including figurative painting, impressionism and Fauvism.
The Spanish masters
Museo Picasso (Picasso Museum), Malaga: Malaga is the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and where this museum is, dedicated solely to the creator and best-known exponent of Cubism. The museum exhibits almost 300 works by Picasso, giving a complete overview of all his stages and styles throughout his life.
Museo Dalí (Dali Museum), Figueres, Girona: The Dalí Museum is also located in the painter’s home town of Figueres, in an eccentric building in keeping with the artist's personality. Salvador Dalí is known for his striking and dreamlike paintings, for being one of the greatest surrealists of all time and for his narcissistic and megalomaniac character, of all which is apparent in this museum.
Art and culture
Guggenheim, Bilbao: In the emblematic avant-garde building designed by Canadian architect Frank Gehry, known for its impossible shapes and the titanium plates that cover it, there is an enormous area for the exhibition of contemporary art, one of the most famous in Spain. As an added bonus, if you get hungry while you’re there, you can go to the Nerua restaurant in the same building, which has a Michelin star.
Museo de Baile Flamenco (Flamenco Dancing Museum), Seville: If you want to know the history of this typical Andalusian dance since the 18th century, this is the museum for you. Although it’s small, it manages to transmit all the energy and passion of this musical and dance style, widely considered to be one of the most important in all Spain, not only Andalusia. For a complete experience, buy tickets to see a live show.
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (National Museum of Catalan Art), Barcelona: Located at the top of Montjuïc Mountain, in the centre of Barcelona, this is one of the most important art museums in Barcelona. Standing out especially for its collection of Romanesque art, one of the most complete and numerous in the world, there are also pieces of modern art, Gothic and Baroque, among others.
More than just art
Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (City of Arts and Sciences), Valencia: Located in an architectural complex with several buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela, this museum offers totally different activities for all tastes. It has a planetarium, an IMAX cinema, an aquarium, a theatre and several exhibition halls. The ‘Oceanográfico’ sea life centre contains more than 500 different marine species.
CosmoCaixa (Barcelona): This museum is built in Barcelona’s old textile factory designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, a leader in Catalan modernism. The museum houses several interactive experiments so that the elderly and the youngest can enjoy and understand science. The jewel in its crown is undoubtedly the recreation of a tropical forest, with plants, animals and even artificial rain.
Added bonus for football lovers
In one of the most important leagues in the world, La Liga, two of the most famous international teams compete, Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and Fútbol Club Barcelona. If you’re passionate about football, you can’t miss the museums of these two clubs, the Museo del Real Madrid and the Museo del FC Barcelona, located in their stadiums, the Bernabéu and the Camp Nou, respectively, where you can see exhibitions of the trophies they’ve won, past players and kit. You can even go down to the touchline and sit on the benches where the players sit!