Museo del Prado (Prado Museum)
The Prado Museum (founded in 1819) is among Europe's greatest art galleries. Within its 4,000-strong collection of 16th- to early 19th-century paintings, are masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Bosch (El Bosco), Titian, Rembrandt and Velázquez, as well as evidence of the astonishing development of Goya - from his sun-soaked early paintings of dances and festivities to the grim madness of his black period.

Paseo del Prado s/n
Tel: 91 330 2900.
Website: www.museodelprado.es
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0900-1200. Closed Mon.
Admission charge; free on Sunday.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum)
Madrid purchased the private collection of Hans-Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza after a nine-and-a-half-year loan, instantly enriching the city's fund of art treasures. The collection contains over 800 paintings, sculptures, carvings and tapestries, ranging from primitive Flemish works to contemporary pieces. Highlights include works by Fra Angelico, Van Eyck, Dürer, Caravaggio and Rubens.

Paseo del Prado 8
Tel: 91 369 0151.
Website: www.museothyssen.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1900. Closed Mon.
Admission charge.

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Reina Sofia National Art Centre Museum)
Housed in a former hospital built by Francesco Sabatini for Carlos III in the late 18th century, the museum was designed by the Spanish architect Antonio Fernánez Alba in 1977 and completed in 1990. Officially opened by the King and Queen in 1992, it is dedicated to Spanish 20th-century art, pride of place belonging to Picasso's disturbing Civil War canvas, Guernica. Dalí, Miró and Juan Gris are among the other artists on show. More recently the museum has expanded with a building created by the French architect Jean Nouvel. The expansion houses the museum's library, a 450-seat auditorium and temporary exhibitions galleries.

Calle Santa Isabel 52
Tel: 91 774 1000.
Website: www.museoreinasofia.es
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-2100, Sun 1000-1430. Closed Tues.
Admission charge; free Sat 1430-1900 and Sun.

Palacio Real (Royal Palace)
With the opulence of Versailles in mind, Philip V commissioned Italian architects Giambattista Sacchetti and Francesco Sabatini to build the Royal Palace, following a fire that destroyed the medieval Alcázar in 1764. The present king, Juan Carlos I, resides in the more subdued Zarzuela Palace outside Madrid, so Philip's 3000-room extravaganza is only used for state functions. The rest of the time, the startling white building in granite and Colmenar stone is open for tours and individual visits. Highlights include the Hall of Halberdiers and Hall of Columns with their splendid frescoes, the Throne Room with its 17th-century sculptures, and the lavish private apartments of Charles II. Just off the courtyard is the Royal Armoury and Pharmacy - among Europe's oldest. Visits take approximately two hours. There are spectacular views over Madrid from the surrounding gardens.

Plaza de Oriente, Calle Bailén s/n
Tel: 91 454 8800.
Website: www.patrimonionacional.es/preal/preal.htm  
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1700, Sun 0900-1400 (Oct-Mar); Mon-Sat 0900-1800, Sun 0900-1500 (Apr-Sep); closed during official ceremonies.
Admission charge; Wed free for EU nationals.

Plaza Mayor (Main Square)
This beautifully proportioned cobbled square was begun by Philip II and completed by Philip III in 1619 - his statue stands proudly at the centre. Plaza Mayor was both a market place and the setting for public spectacles - everything from the ritual condemnation of heretics to bull fights and pageants. Today, tourists outnumber the locals but Plaza Mayor is still as lively as it was in the past, with shops and cafes in the covered arcades.