Museo del Prado Madrid

Visitors to Spain always come armed with handy guidebooks leading to all the historic landmarks, so many that one can hardly keep track of them. Castles and cathedrals are visited from one province to the other and one town to another. These are remarkable and fascinating but should not overshadow the wonderful museums throughout Spain.

Art and artists have been a dominant force throughout Spain’s colorful history. Painters and sculptors are highly respected and valued in society, particularly in the Spanish legendary royal courts.

Spain has a long legacy of famous artists. Goya and El Greco painted in such bold and original styles that they were (and still are) among the most highly revered artists in the world. Modern artists such as Picasso and Dali also brought worldwide attention to the Spanish art scene and were leaders in the creation of new movements in modern art.

With its rich legacy of artists, it is no surprise that Spain houses many of the most important paintings that exist today. To match the great art collection are the impressive art museums that house them such as the famous Museo del Prado in Madrid, Museo Guggenheim Bilbao and the newly renovated Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.

The Museo del Prado is one of the most comprehensive and visited collections in the world. Traditional art in the form of paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings and decorative objects are represented from the 12th century onward.

Both the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia have amazing modern and contemporary art both in permanent collections and traveling exhibitions. The artwork exhibited is of the highest quality and importance art historically. The museums alone are impressive demonstrations of radical architecture, art objects themselves.

Spain has a very high standard for nearly all of its museums and public gallery exhibitions spaces. Villages with as few as 15,000 inhabitants have great venues for travelling exhibitions as well as permanent collections. The exhibitions are presented imaginatively and professionally – of the highest standard. You will be pleasantly surprised when you stop in to see the local village gallery.

The local Town Halls and tourist offices will always have listings of current local exhibitions at museums and galleries, ranging from paintings to photography and traditional to contemporary. It is worth the time to visit these. Many traveling exhibitions begin in large Museums and then travel to the smaller towns.

Apart from the large art museums, you will also run into a lot of artist specific museums. For example, abstract artist extraordinaire, Pablo Picasso has three museums dedicated to him, one in Barcelona and two in Malaga where he was born. The wild and world renowned surrealist painter Salvador Dali spent his life painting in a small fishing village of Figueres (a few hours north of Barcelona via train). Here is situated the former (somehwhat bizarre) home of Dali which has been converted into a museum.

In addition to museums featuring artwork, there are museums for archaeology, culture (flamenco music, bandoleros, military), decorative and folk art and many, many others.

Whether your tastes in art are traditional or modern, the monumental museums are worth a visit as are the tiny off the beat and path galleries and museums. There are always hidden gems to be uncovered in the streets of Spain.

Most museum entry fees range from 6,00 euro to 11,00 euro and offer discounts for locals, students, children and seniors.