MUSEUMS
Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado is one of the most famous museums in the world if you want to see classical or religious art. With masterpieces from Francisco Goya, Bosch, El Greco, Murillo, Zurbarán and as well as the famous “Las Meninas” painted by Diego Velázquez, you could spend days in this museum at not see it all.
Museo Reina Sofía
Home to a fine collection of modern art, the Reina Sofía has some incredible works by Pablo Picasso, such as “Guernica,” which depicts the horrors of the Spanish Civil War. Plus, there’s also an extensive Salvador Dalí collection, featuring his most famous paintings like those dripping clocks, alongside many paintings by Joan Miró.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
The Thyssen Museum has a fancy permanent collection, featuring works by Caravaggio, Rubens and Rembrandt as well as many cool special exhibits that change throughout the year. Much of the collection is actually private, owned by the Baroness Thyssen.
Museo Sorolla
Housed in the former mansion of the artist Joaquín Sorolla, the Museo Sorolla gives a beautiful glimpse into the painter’s works and life. The little outdoor garden is a charming place to breathe in the scents of spring.
Museo Arqueológico Nacional: MAN
The Museo Arqueológico Nacional, also know as the MAN, recently underwent a huge renovation and has an enormous space dedicated to the famous prehistoric Cuevas de Altamira. The museum has artefacts from many different time periods and occupations including Prehistoric, Egyptian, Celtic, Iberian, Greek, Roman, Visigoth and Christian.
Museo del Romanticismo
The Museo del Romanticismo is all about Romantic art, furniture, décor and more. The museum looks tiny from the outside, but actually houses more than 16,000 items from the permanent collection, such as paintings, drawings, sculptures, furniture, photos and decorative art.
Museo del Traje
Fashion-lovers should visit the Museo del Traje, a museum dedicated to fashion and costumes. The permanent collection has over 160,000 pieces. Many special events and temporary exhibits are offered, such as collections devoted to a particular designer or workshops and talks about the evolution of fashion in Spain.
Casa Museo Ratón Pérez
A museum for children, the Casa Museo Ratón Pérez is dedicated to Ratón Pérez, a tiny mouse made famous by a storybook written in 1902. In Spanish culture, this small mouse is actually the tooth fairy, bringing gifts at night in return for taking children’s teeth from beneath their pillow as they sleep.
PARKS
Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid
Spring is the best time to visit these magical gardens, with endless rows of blooming tulips, lilies, and roses in every color of the rainbow. However, going in the off-season isn’t all bad, as the Bonsai tree garden and the greenhouse with carnivorous tropical plants are open year-round. The Botanical Gardens feature almost 6,000 different plant species and even a special plant library, so get ready to not only view, but learn about, pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about plants here.
Parque del Buen Retiro
The Retiro Park is Madrid’s most central and most famous park. Get lost in the canopy of green trees until you end up by the lake, where you can pay a few euros to lap the water in a rowboat. If you’d prefer a little more exercise, join the locals in jogging, bike riding, rollerblading, or working out at the outdoor gym area in the park. You can also take a yoga class (in English) during the warm weather months with The Natural Yogi (be sure to sign up in advance). Checking out the Palacio de Cristal, a palace made of glass, is a cultural experience as there’s often a temporary modern art exhibition inside the structure. Bring your own drinks and snacks for a picnic, or enjoy an ice cream or beer at one of the park’s many outdoor snack bars. There’s also a lesser-known rose garden and enclosed garden with peacocks towards the east edge of the park.
Parque de el Capricho
The whimsical Parque de el Capricho was constructed under the orders of the Duchess of Osuna in 1787 and was once a retreat for her and her royal family and friends. Now, the park is open to the public, but it still retains its regal charms from centuries past. The garden, which features design and architecture in French, Italian and English styles, is full of secret spots to discover. Enter through the towering gates and head left towards the small house, Casa de la Vieja, straight out of a fairy tale, with a slanted roof and tiny doors and windows made for elves. Climb the Greek-like columns and ruins, spot the black swans in the lake, wander the palace and the rose garden, or get lost in the labyrinth formed out of impeccably manicured trees and bushes.
Parque de Juan Carlos I
One of Madrid’s newer green spaces, this park opened to the public in 1992 and has a lake, an auditorium, and a beautiful collection of outdoor sculptures. The park is geared towards family fun, as workshops and events area often held here over the weekend. There’s also a skating area, a fishing area, bicycle rental, and a free train that gives rides around the park every 30 minutes.
Jardines de Sabatini
These small but perfectly curated set of very European style gardens is located next to Madrid’s famous Palacio Real. Since the gardens aren’t huge, this isn’t the spot you’ll have a picnic and lounge for hours; instead, visit when you really need a nice walk through a beautiful green space. The bushes and trees are carefully and perfectly trimmed, opening up to small ponds and, of course, a gorgeous view of the Palace’s north side.
Casa de Campo
Madrid’s largest green space, Casa de Campo is almost eight-square-miles large, perfect for a long, leisurely bike ride or even even some light hiking (it was once a hunting estate many years back). Madrid’s teleferico (cable car) has been a popular family activity since 1969, carrying passengers 40 meters above the ground on a 2.5-kilometer trajectory between the Casa de Campo and the Pintor de Rosales area. The park is also home to Madrid’s Zoo-Aquarium.
Parque Europa
The Parque Europa offers a tour of Europe without leaving Spain. Located just a few miles outside of the city in the suburb of Torrejón de Ardoz, the park features giant replicas of 18 European monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Trevi Fountain, and Tower Bridge. An ancient Greek amphitheater, a Dutch windmill, Lisbon’s Tower of Belem, and Brussels’ Atomium can all be found in this unique park, which is actually free to enter.
Madrid Río
The area along Madrid’s Manzanares River is ideal for those looking to enjoy an activity-filled afternoon of rollerblading, biking, or skateboarding. If you aren’t feeling athletic, plenty of terraces offer food and drink options where you can chill out and take in the scene. The space is also ideal for families, as children can make use of 17 different play areas featuring bridges, webs, hammocks, vines, and swings all created from sustainable materials. There’s also a beach area for sunbathing, with various fountains in which to cool off when the weather is warm.
El Parque Quinta de la Fuente del Berro
While the origins of this green space date back to 1630, it wasn’t until 1954 that this park became available for the general public to enjoy. The park, which is hidden away in a residential neighborhood of Madrid, is full of romantic fountains and carefully carved statues, one of the most famous being of Spanish writer and poet Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the waterfall, too.
MARKETS
Mercado de San Miguel
The Mercado de San Miguel is one of the necessary stops for foodies in Madrid. It used to be a normal food market, but a few years ago it transformed into the heavenly creation it is today. It is one of the best places to eat in the center of the capital, as the multitude of stalls provides endless options for hungry visitors. Oysters, caviar, pastries, sushi, yogurt and calamari rolls are just a few of the delicious dishes that visitors can find here. A mecca for food-lovers, this is without a doubt one of the best markets in Madrid.
El Rastro
Madrid’s oldest street market, El Rastro, is located in the trendy La Latina neighborhood. It opens every Sunday at 9 a.m. and sells almost anything you can think of, both new and second-hand. Comics, books, records, shoes, clothes, jewelry – all are available in abundance at El Rastro. It can get incredibly crowded around midday, so it is best to go early in the morning. After bargaining for a bit and exploring the many stalls, why not go for tapas in one of the neighborhood’s many bars?
Mercado San Antón
Inaugurated a few years after Mercado de San Miguel, Mercado San Antón is known as another of the best gourmet restaurants in the capital. The market is something of a food museum; it has some of the best dishes in the city, whether it be tapas or more sophisticated meals, and the drinks that can be found here are of excellent quality. Warning: often visitors can be found wandering around, unable to choose at which stall to eat because of the huge array of possibilities.
Mercado Central de Diseño
Located in the Matadero de Madrid in the Legazpi area of the city, the Central Market of Design is dedicated to showing the talented work of emerging illustrators, artists and designers that have no other way of showcasing their art. The market takes place on the first weekend of every month from 11am to 10pm. From time to time there are also free concerts or workshops, and it has become a classic with Madrid residents who are interested in fashion, decoration or design.
Adelita Market
For environmentally friendly visitors, this market is the ideal place to go to shop. Adelita market sells objects that people no longer want or use, promoting the recycling of goods and sustainability in our consumer-crazy society. Anyone can sign up in advance to sell their own things, but it has to be with the aim of reusing and recycling. It takes place on the third weekend of every month from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. during the winter months and 12 p.m. – 9 p.m. during the summer months. Perfect for picking up something unique with a clean conscience.
Mercado del Juguete Antiguo
The Mercado del Juguete Antiguo is an antique toy market. It was first established in 2007 by a group of friends who decided it was time to fill the antique toy market gap in Madrid. It takes place on the first Saturday of each month from 10:30am to 14:30pm, except during August. The market was so successful that a second toy market has been set up in the Centro Comercial Plaza Aluche on the third Saturday of every month, although this is not dedicated exclusively to antiques.
