Paseo del Arte
Epicentre of the city’s cultural life, the Paseo del Prado and the Buen Retiro, Landscape of Arts and Sciences, also known as the Landscape of Light, was declared UNESCO World Heritage in July 2021.
Paseo del Arte (Art Walk in English) is also known as the art triangle, as it is home to three of the world’s most important art galleries within two kilometres. Epicentre of the city’s cultural life, it was declared UNESCO World Heritage in July 2021 in the category of Cultural Landscape and includes the Paseo del Prado between Cibeles and the Plaza de Atocha, the whole of El Retiro Park, and the Jerónimos neighbourhood.
Established by Queen Maria Isabel of the House of Braganza in 1819, the museum is housed in a neoclassical building designed in 1785 by architect Juan de Villanueva to accommodate the Natural History Department. It displays the fantastic royal collection of art, which comprises works from the Spanish, Flemish and Italian schools. Some of the greatest masterpieces you can view at the Prado Museum are Las Meninas by Velázquez, The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch or Goya’s Black Paintings. Designed by contemporary architect Rafael Moneo, the adjoining building stages temporary exhibitions.
THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA NATIONAL MUSEUM
Housed in the Villahermosa Palace, across the street from the Prado Museum, is the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, started by Heinrich Thyssen in the 1920s and enlarged by his son Hans Heinrich. Opening in October 1992, the museum reviews the evolution of European painting from the Middle Ages to the late twentieth century with works by Canaletto, Gauguin, Kandinsky and Hopper, among many others. Currently, it also exhibits part of the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, which contains an interesting selection of Impressionist art.
The Reina Sofía first opened its doors to the public in 1990 as a continuation of the Prado Museum, displaying artworks from the late nineteenth century to the present day. Housed in the former Madrid General Hospital built by Francisco Sabatini and later extended by architect Jean Nouvel, it contains works by masters like Dalí, Miró and Juan Gris. But the highlight of the collection is, without a doubt, Picasso’s Guernica. The Reina Sofia Tourist Information Point is open all year round and provides visitors with all the information they need.
Paseo del Arte runs along the wide, tree-lined boulevard of Paseo del Prado and some of the streets that come out onto it. Together with Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo de la Castellana, Paseo del Prado forms a long line that flows north to south through the city.
Once an open green space close to the San Jerónimo el Real monastery – ‘prado’ means ‘meadow’ in Spanish –, the area of the long avenue that we can see today witnessed the construction of the Buen Retiro Palace, commissioned by King Philip IV.
Well into the eighteenth century, Paseo del Prado was a leafy area surrounded by gardens and orchards, with the Fuente Castellana spring running through it. Urban development came with the accession of Charles III to the throne of Spain. In the spirit of the Enlightenment, the King endowed the area with monuments and buildings devoted to science and knowledge. It was under Charles III’s reign that the Royal Botanic Gardens (with a cafeteria and venue for exhibitions and activities), the Natural History Department – which would later become the Prado Museum – and the Royal Observatory of Madrid were erected. To embellish the Salón del Prado boulevard, Ventura Rodríguez designed several fountains that have become the symbols of local football clubs. The supporters of Real Madrid and of Atlético de Madrid gather round the Cibeles and Neptuno Fountains, depicting goddess Cybele and god Neptune, to celebrate their teams’ victories. Together with the fountains of Apolo (Apollo), Cuatro Fuentes (Four Fountains) and Alcachofa (Artichoke), they make an exceptional sculpture ensemble.
In addition to the three major art galleries – Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofía –, the Art Walk has other interesting cultural centres and museums.
This exhibition space is located in the Palacio de Cibeles, which has been refurbished to become the headquarters of the City Council. It has a viewpoint overlooking the Paseo del Prado, houses a tourist office and has a press/reading room with international press.
Since it first opened in 1843, this museum has exhibited historical items such as paintings, weapons, nautical instruments, maps and charts, and historic model ships, displayed in chronological order to help visitors understand the history of the Spanish Navy.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE ARTS
Founded in 1912 as the Industrial Arts Museum, it contains more than fifteen thousand pieces from several periods and styles.
Its spectacular building, formerly the Mediodía Power Station, has been rehabilitated by architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron to host exhibitions, conferences and other cultural events. Its vertical garden designed by Patrick Blanc stands out, a 24-metre high vegetal wall with 250 different species.
This institution puts on major art exhibitions in Sala Recoletos, which has an exhibition area of approximately 1000 m2, divided into three rooms.
ESPACIO CULTURAL SERRERÍA BELGA
This cultural centre is located in a former sawmill that housed the Medialab premises. The renovation work carried out won the 2013 COAM Award. A space that unites the five senses through art, technology, music, design, fashion, gastro culture, literature, and audiovisual media.
Housed in the Linares Palace, Casa América is aimed at exploring and strengthening the cultural ties between Spain and the Americas. Located on the terrace of the Linares Palace is the Raimunda restaurant with a gastronomic offer advised by the chef Sergio Fernández.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
This museum has an impressive collection of objects from almost every corner of the world – Africa, America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
It is not merely a statue exhibit; it also combines space and sound in a way to recreate an atmosphere and to teach history through its more than 450 sculptures. Cleopatra, Napoleon, Kings from the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties are just some of the varied personalities from different periods and professions like famous sports players, politicians, historical figures and current and past celebrities.
The headquarters of The Bank of Spain is one of the most beautiful buildings of the Spanish 19th century architecture. Highly decorated, it won an award at the 1884 National Fine Arts Exhibition. It houses an impressive paintings collection with works by Goya, Mengs, Maella ad Vicente López, among others. Groups of students and, exceptionally, cultural groups and non-profit organizations are the only ones allowed to visit the interior of the building.
BIBLIOTECA NACIONAL (NATIONAL LIBRARY)
A space comprised of eight rooms where you can find original books, discover what librarian’s job is like or learn Miguel de Cervantes’s secrets.
This neo-classical building, inspired by the Vienna’s Stock Exchange building and designed by Enrique María Repullés y Vargas, is where the stock trading in Madrid’s Stock Exchange takes place and is one of the most famous buildings in Madrid.
It is an official royal institution responsible for overseeing the correct use of Spanish language. The most notable feature of its neoclassical exterior is the main façade with a portico comprised of 4 Doric columns and a triangular gable. In the interior, el Salón, also decorated in a neo-classical style, deserves a special mention.
This palace was the residence of Marquise of Salamanca and it was completely remodeled to become Fundación BBVA. Now it is one of the most important cultural spaces in the city.
FERNÁN GÓMEZ CENTRO CULTURAL DE LA VILLA
It has three cultural spaces: Sala Guirau (theater), Sala Jardiel Poncela (assembly hall) and Exhibitions Hall. Its program of events includes theater, dance, music, children's shows and exhibitions, as well as talks, conferences and other activities.
This permanent fair is open every day of the week. Over the past few years, Calle de Claudio Moyano has undergone remodeling making it a pedestrian area that includes a cycling lane and makes it even nicer to walk around
On the Art Walk stand two of the most iconic hotels in Madrid. Established over a hundred years ago, the Mandarin Oriental Ritz and The Westin Palace Madrid have been awarded five stars, and both have played an important role in the history of the capital of Spain.
The hotel was inaugurated on 2 October 1910 by King Alfonso XIII, who wanted to offer luxury accommodation to the illustrious guests to his royal wedding. Since then, it’s been the meeting place for the rich and the famous. Some of the hotel’s best-known guests have been Alexander Fleming, Grace of Monaco, Cary Grant, Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner.
Inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII on 12 October 1912, The Westin Palace had been the palace of the Dukes of Medinaceli. Designated an Asset of Cultural Interest, the building has kept the remarkable fine style that was dominant in the Belle Époque. Since it opened, it’s been witness to Madrid’s leading cultural and political developments. Mata Hari, Picasso, Dalí and Hemingway have been some of The Westin Palace’s renowned guests.
If you have a slightly lesser budget, the NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado, the Only You Hotel Atocha and Hotel Paseo del Arte are also very good options for staying in this area.
The Art Walk provides much more than visual pleasures, since it has countless restaurants to delighteverybody’s taste buds
After a visit to any of the three icons of the area (Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofía), there is nothing better than to stop for a drink and a snack to talk about what you have just seen. Museo del Prado has a Café Prado with a terrace, in the outer courtyard, next to the Puerta de Los Jerónimos, open from March through October. The café-restaurant at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is located on the ground floor and is open all year. In the summer, you can dine with a view of the Paseo del Prado at the Mirador del Thyssen. The ground floor of the Edificio Nouvel, with the restaurants and terraces of Arzábal y NuBel, serves as a cafe and restaurant of the Museo Reina Sofía.
The two grand historical hotels on the Paseo del Arte have a culinary offer at their high five-star level. The Mandarin Oriental Ritz is home to renowned chef Quique Dacosta's restaurant Deessa , recipient of the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts, the National Gastronomy Award, and 3 Michelin stars. The Westin Palace Madrid offers the La Rotonda restaurant under a glass dome. Both restaurants offer a Sunday brunch: the Ritz in its Jardines Belle Epoque and the Palace pairs its wide culinary offer with live opera. This second one also has the two of the best Asian restaurants in the city: Green Tea and Asia Gallery.
Lastly, there’re the Colección Cibeles café and the Palacio de Cibeles Resturant, both in the eponymous building.
This area has one of the legendary places to try the famous bocadillo de calamares (calamari sandwich), El Brillante cafe; at the Plaza de la Platería and around Calle Alfonso XII you will find plenty of places to try tapas or to have a coffee, out in the open; and in that varied offer we would like to recommend Al Mounia, Estado Puro, Alabaster and Plató.
The official shops of the Prado Museum, the National Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofía Museum are located in the Paseo del Arte area.
The shop of the Prado Museum offers small jewels of the most emblematic paintings and also offers a service of printing on demand, on paper or canvas, with high resolution reproductions of the masterpieces of the permanent collection of the Prado Museum.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza shop has a selection of catalogues, reproductions, books and exclusive designs. An essential gift shop with products and publications related to the collection and the museum's temporary exhibitions.
For its part, the Tienda del Reina has numerous products such as guides and catalogues, gifts designed for young and old, and printed products such as posters, postcards, prints, bookmarks. All this is related to the exhibitions of the centre and great artists such as Salvador Dalí, Juan Gris, Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso, among many others.