The Prado, the Reina Sofía and the old centre
5 stops- 09:00
Museo del Prado
Spain's national art museum holds one of the world's great collections of European painting, including Velázquez's Las Meninas, Goya's Black Paintings and Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights. The plan gives it the whole morning, so start with these rooms and then follow whatever draws you.
- Walk, 10 min
- 12:00
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
Spain's national museum of 20th-century art is home to Picasso's Guernica, along with major works by Dalí and Miró. Start with Guernica and the rooms around it, which explain how the painting was made, then see the Surrealists.
- Walk, 18 min
- 14:00
Plaza de Cibeles
The Cibeles Fountain shows the goddess Cybele in a chariot drawn by lions, with the white Palacio de Cibeles, now the city hall, rising behind it. If the viewpoint at the top of the palace is open, go up for a view along Calle de Alcalá and Gran Vía.
- Walk, 14 min
- 14:35
Puerta del Sol
Madrid's best-known square holds the Kilometre Zero plaque at the centre of Spain's road network, and its clock tower rings in the New Year for the whole country. Find the bear and strawberry tree statue, the city's symbol, then walk on to Plaza Mayor.
- Walk, 6 min
- 15:05
Main Square
Plaza Mayor, built in the early 17th century, is a grand arcaded square with Philip III on horseback in the middle and painted facades on the Casa de la Panadería. Take a slow lap under the arcades and stay for a drink as the day winds down.
