Prado Museum

Museo Nacional del Prado

Velázquez, Goya and Bosch under one roof; the last two hours are free

⚠ No photos in the galleries

Hours

Mon–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun & holidays 10:00–19:00; 10:00–14:00 on 6 Jan, 24 & 31 Dec; closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec

Tickets

General €15, over-65s €7.50, under-18s and students up to 25 free; audio guide +€5. Timed tickets on the official site. Free hours cover the permanent collection only

Address

Paseo del Prado, s/n; ticket holders go in by the Goya entrance (north) or the Murillo side (south)

Stand in front of Las Meninas in Room 12 and Velázquez, brush in hand, stares straight back at you. Follow the glances between the princess, her maids, the dog and the royal couple in the mirror and ten minutes vanish. Downstairs, Goya's Black Paintings, the grim, twisted faces he painted on the walls of his own house, land hard after the bright court portraits upstairs. Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights always has a crowd three deep, so go there first thing. The collection is huge; pick twenty highlights and let the rest go.