Madrid is a city that rewards knowing what you are looking at. These guides explain what each institution holds and how it is arranged, what a monument was built for, and what distinguishes one district from the next — the things that stay true between visits. We write from published, checkable sources and we have not been to these places ourselves; where something is singled out as notable, we say who says so rather than passing off an opinion as experience.
Museums & Galleries
- What Is the Paseo del Arte Pass? Madrid’s Museum Ticket
- What Is the Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid?
- What Is the Museo de Historia de Madrid?
- What Is the Museo del Romanticismo in Madrid?
- What Is the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales?
- What Is the Museo Naval de Madrid? A Guide to the Navy’s Museum
- What Is the Museo del Traje in Madrid?
- What Is the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando?
- What Is CaixaForum Madrid, and What Was the Building?
- What Is the Museo Lázaro Galdiano in Madrid?
- What Is the Museo Cerralbo, Madrid’s House-Museum?
- What Is the Museo Sorolla, and What Was the Building?
- What Is the Museo Arqueológico Nacional, and What Does It Hold?
- How Much of the Prado Can You See in One Visit?
- Why Do So Many Madrid Museums Close on Mondays?
- How Madrid’s National Museum Free-Entry Windows Work
- The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection: What It Holds and How It Arrived
- What Is in the Reina Sofía, and How Did Guernica Arrive?
- Madrid’s Golden Triangle of Art: Three Museums Explained
- What Is in the Museo del Prado, and How Is It Arranged?
All Museums & Galleries articles →
Landmarks & Sights
- Where Can You See Madrid From Above? A Clear Guide
- What Is the Faro de Moncloa? Madrid’s Observation Tower
- What Is the Puerta de Toledo? Madrid’s Neoclassical Gate
- What Is the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida?
- What Is the Basílica de San Francisco el Grande in Madrid?
- What Is Plaza de España in Madrid, and What Changed?
- What Is the Palacio de Cristal in Madrid, and What Is It Used For?
- What Is the Edificio Metrópolis in Madrid?
- What Are the Cuatro Torres, and What Is Inside Them?
- What Is the Santiago Bernabéu, and How Has It Changed?
- What Is Las Ventas, and What Makes Its Architecture Unusual?
- What Is the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid?
- What Is Gran Vía, and When Was It Cut Through Madrid?
- What Is the Templo de Debod, and Why Is It in Madrid?
- What Is Plaza de Cibeles, and What Is the Building Behind It?
- What Is the Puerta de Alcalá? Madrid’s Landmark Gate
- The Almudena Cathedral, Madrid: Why It Looks So Modern
- What Is the Royal Palace of Madrid, and What Can You See?
- What Is Puerta del Sol, and What Is Kilometre Zero?
- What Is Plaza Mayor in Madrid, and Why Was It Built?
- What Is the Real Fábrica de Tapices in Madrid?
- What Is Matadero Madrid, and What Was It Built For?
All Landmarks & Sights articles →
Neighbourhoods
- How Is Madrid Divided Into Districts and Barrios?
- What Is Moncloa-Aravaca? Madrid’s University District Explained
- What Is Vallecas? Madrid’s Working-Class District Explained
- What Is Carabanchel, and What Is Happening to It?
- What Is Usera, and Why Is It Known for Its Chinese Community?
- What Is Tetuán? Madrid’s District North of Chamberí Explained
- What Is the Retiro District, Beyond the Park?
- What Is Arganzuela, and What Is Madrid Río? Explained
- What Is Madrid de los Austrias? Habsburg Madrid Explained
- What Is the Barrio de las Letras, and Who Lived There?
- What Is Chamberí, and What Is the Ghost Station Beneath It?
- What Is the Barrio de Salamanca, and Why Its Grid?
- What Is Chueca, and How Did It Become What It Is?
- What Is Malasaña, and Where Does the Name Come From?
- What Is Lavapiés, and What Is Its History? Madrid Explained
- What Is La Latina? Madrid’s Old Quarter Explained
Day Trips
- What Is Manzanares el Real? Madrid’s Castle Town Explained
- Is Cuenca a Day Trip From Madrid, or an Overnight?
- What Is Chinchón? Madrid’s Plaza Mayor Day Trip
- What Is Aranjuez? Madrid’s Royal Garden Town Explained
- What Is Alcalá de Henares? A Madrid Day Trip Explained
- What Is Ávila, and What Are Its Medieval Walls?
- What Is El Escorial? Madrid’s Royal Monastery Explained
- What Is Segovia, and What Is Its Aqueduct?
- What Is Toledo, and What Makes It a Day Trip From Madrid?
- What Is the Sierra de Guadarrama, and How Close Is It?