This convent's museum houses an important collection of paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and precious metalwork donated to the order during the reigns of Carlos I and Felipe II. Highlights include paintings by Zurbarán, Rubens, and Titian, a sculpted sepulcher of Emperatriz María by Crescenci, Juan de Mena's sculptures and Leoni's marble mausoleum. It first opened to the public in 1960 and won the European Council's special Museum of the Year award in 1987. The 16th-century convent is home to a religious community of Franciscan nuns belonging to the order of St. Clare.

Undoubtedly among the oldest and best collections of paintings in Spain, the 17th-century examples stand out above all. The most interesting works include two self-portraits of Goya, canvasses by Ribera, Murillo and Velázquez along with those by foreign painters of the stature of Rubens, Van Dyck and Arcimboldo. There's a room dedicated to Picasso, a room especially for decorative arts, a section for drawings and prints and a valuable series of sculptures by Joselin Regular. Access to the research library is restricted. Call ahead for more details.

It's an officially listed building that contains important works of art considered to be national treasures. It has impressive collections of sculpture and paintings as well as a Neogothic library, antique glassware and lamps produced by the royal supplier (La Fábrica de Vidrio de la Granja). It's now a popular venue for cultural events, social events and press conferences. Its facilities include a sauna, gym, swimming-pool, reading room, bars and two restaurants. The Casino is a private club dating from 1910 and public access is restricted to the restaurants only.

Lope de Vega was born in Madrid in 1562 and became one of the 17th-century's major dramatists, along with Calderón de la Barca. House-Museum of Lope de Vega is the house where he lived from 1610 until his death in 1635. Those 25 years were a troubled period in the writer's adventurous life. He was banished from Madrid for eight years because he wrote insulting poems about Elena Osorio (the daughter of an important theatrical impresario) with whom he had a five-year relationship. She eventually abandoned him for a wealthy lover. The two-story house is ironically located in Calle Cervantes and has been arranged to represent the historical period in which the writer lived. It first opened to the public in 1935.

Commissioned by Philip V, the Royal Palace of Madrid is a grand spectacle designed by the architect Juan Bautista Sacchetti. The plans were drawn up and the foundation stone was laid in 1738, but it would be another 17 years before Sacchetti's work was realized. Over the years, successive generations of the royal family furnished the palace with a lavish collection of artwork, antique furniture and decorative details, its halls illuminated by sparkling chandeliers and adorned with artwork by the country's masters. From the ceiling of the Throne Room and the floral motif of the Gasparini Room, to the secrets of the Royal Pharmacy, the Royal Palace is full of treasures. The Royal Armoury, the Paintings Gallery and the Royal Chapel house impressive collections of weapons, artwork and stringed instruments respectively, each offering a glimpse into the opulent lifestyle of the Kings of Spain. Today, the Royal Palace plays host to State Ceremonies and is a popular tourist attraction.

The Prado Museum is Spain's national art gallery and home to one of the world's foremost collections of European art from the 12th to the 20th Centuries, and one of the most impressive collections of Spanish art across the globe. Carlos III commissioned Juan de Villanueva to design this beautiful building to house the Natural History Cabinet but was instead employed by his grandson, King Ferdinand III, to host the vast Royal collection, including revered works of art like The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch and Death of the Virgin by Mantegna. Soon after, it opened to the public as the Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures in 1819. Over the past 200 years, the museum's collection was enhanced by generous acquisitions and donations. These included thousands of paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures by the likes of Goya, Diego Velázquez, El Greco and Bosch. In July of 2005, the Council of Ministers approved an expansion plan which increased the museum's total space by 50 percent and allowed for 500 more works of the permanent collection to be showcased. On October 30, 2007, the annex opened with a collection of 19th-century Spanish artwork which enabled the Prado to reclaim its glory as the crown jewel of Madrid's art scene. A work of art in itself, the historic museum is a Spanish Property of Cultural Interest.

It is a real pleasure to wander around these attractively landscaped gardens. You will see examples of a wide variety of plants from all five continents - 30,000 different species in total. They are all labeled with their Latin and Spanish names. Among them are medicinal herbs, sweet-smelling plants and flowers, food-bearing plants, and a collection of roses. There is also a greenhouse with tropical, subtropical and desert plants. The gardens have been open since 1791.

Named after Queen Sofia, Reina Sofia is one of the most renowned art museums in Europe. One of the world's largest modern and contemporary art museums, it is known for showcasing some of the most outstanding masterpieces from the 20th Century. Housing works of Spanish as well as international artists from Luis Gordillo and Antoni Tapies to Francis Bacon and Lucio Fontana, the museum's focus is on Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali—Spain's most prolific painters. With a free library and a cafe on-site, visitors can get lost in the world of European art at this extraordinary museum.

Known as the "lungs of Madrid", few cities can boast such a large park (118 hectares, or 291.5 acres) in a central location. There's a large boating lake and the park has three art galleries, Casa de Vacas, Palacio de Cristal and Palacio de Velázquez. On weekends and holidays, it fills with madrileños (citizens of Madrid) and performers of all sorts, including mime artists and jugglers, painters, singers, puppet masters and fortune-tellers. It was built as a royal park in the 17th Century and until 1868 it was exclusively reserved for the aristocracy. Whether you want to take a romantic stroll through the rose gardens of the park or enjoy a free summer concert, the Buen Retiro is a delightful place for a day out.

The largest public library in Spain, the Biblioteca Nacional de España is the prestigious repository of Spanish heritage and culture. Founded by King Philip V in 1712, this 300-year old library's regal status was relinquished, and was transferred to the Ministry of Governance, who re-christened it as the Biblioteca Nacional. An impressive neoclassical building to one side of Plaza de Colón, the library's spectacular façade features three entrance archways with wrought-iron gates, and an upper gallery decorated with elaborate carvings and Corinthian columns. Statues of Alfonso X (The Wise) and San Isidoro stand on the grand main staircase. Alongside the main doors, one is welcomed by images of Lope de Vega, Cervantes, Antonio de Nebrija and other famous Spanish writers like Santa Teresa, Quevedo and Fray Luis de León. The spectacular library contains more than five million books, besides manuscripts, journals, patents, maps, prints and drawings.

Nestled in the cloister of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Atocha, the venerated Pantheon of Illustrious Men is a mausoleum dedicated to famous figures from Spanish history. The original idea of the Pantheon intended to immortalize Spain's most outstanding historic and political figures that shaped the nation's history, a task that was to be carried out by the Royal Academy of History. However, when the chapel of San Francisco el Grande, where the Pantheon was originally proposed to be built, fell into disrepair, the project was abandoned. Years later, the regency of Queen Maria Cristina de Habsburgo revisited this idea, and the site of the Basílica de Atocha was chosen. Under the red gabled roofs and domes of this ornate pantheon, a range of 13 eminent dignitaries from Spain's history find reverence, including those of Ríos Rosas, Cánovas del Castillo, Argüelles and Mendizábal. Interspersed with their tombs are a host of evocative sculptures designed by Ponciano Ponzano and Sabino Medina.

You can embark on a journey through the life and work of Valencian painter, Joaqua Sorolla (1863-1923), in this fascinating museum. It's located in what was his home and studio, donated to the Spanish state by his widow. Some 300 canvasses and thousands of drawings are spread throughout the three floors. The first floor contains his home and the three studios where he worked. The second floor displays most of his paintings and the ground floor is devoted to his drawings. According to Sorolla, the world was a calm and peaceful place and you'll find this museum to be an oasis of tranquility. He was a master of light and shade and concentrated on painting the female form as well as children and the sea.