Madrid: Things To Do

Catch a corrida Book a coveted and pricey sombra (shadow) seat at a corrida, Madrid’s controversial but revered bullfighting event; season runs from March through October, with bullfights every Sunday, but the best matadors and fiercest bulls come during the annual Fiesta de San Isidro (in mid-May). Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas; Calle Alcalá 237; www.las-ventas.com
culture | smart splurge | editor pick

Centro de Arte Reina Sofía Picasso’s Guernica takes the spotlight at this contemporary art center, but the rest of the collection is equally impressive, with a strong selection of Dalí and Miró works and a snazzy new glass wing by trendy French architect Jean Nouvel. Free on Saturdays after 2.30pm and on Sundays. Paseo del Arte; Santa Isabel 52; www.museoreinasofia.es
architecture | culture | art | editor pick

Convento de Las Descalzas Reales This remarkable Franciscan convent dates from 1557 and is chock-full of splendid tapestries, woodcarvings, frescoes, silverware, sculptures, and paintings. Centro; Plaza de las Descalzas; www.patrimonionacional.es
architecture | culture | art

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza Get a minor in art history at this cultural heavyweight whose collection spans the 13th to late-20th centuries, with Gothic painting to Russian Constructivism to Pop Art and masterpieces by Renoir, Degas, and Van Gogh hung on the walls of a 19th-century palace. Paseo del Arte; Paseo del Prado 8; www.museothyssen.org
architecture | culture | art

Palacio Real Pay due respect to Spain’s monarchy by touring its royal palace (though it no longer houses the royals). About 50 of its opulent rooms are open to the public, as are its armory and 16th-century pharmacy packed with ancient jars and mortars. Centro; Calle Bailén; www.patrimonionacional.es
architecture | culture | history | editor pick

Parque del Retiro Mix with Madrileños (as the locals are known) in this manicured 330-acre oasis that once served as royal hunting grounds and spend the afternoon promenading, cycling, boating on the lake, or catching performances by pavement artists. Parque del Retiro;
family | outdoors | park

Plaza Mayor The city’s most iconic square is a cobblestoned affair lined with sidewalk tables and theatrically enclosed by granite arches; take a coffee break and admire the bronze equestrian sculpture of Felipe III at its center.
architecture | culture | outdoors

Prado This venerable museum houses an 8,600-strong collection of Spanish paintings includes masterpieces like Velázquez’ Las Meninas and Goya’s celebrated Maja portraits, plus over thirty El Grecos in an immense neoclassical building. Free on Sundays. Paseo del Arte; Paseo del Prado; www.museoprado.es
architecture | culture | art | editor pick

Puerta del Sol Stroll through Madrid’s major transport hub and rendezvous point, perennially packed with street performers, locals and tourists; then sit down for coffee just southeast of the Puerta at charming Plaza Santa Ana.
architecture | culture | outdoors