Museums are one of the strengths of Madrid and, as we are culture and museums enthusiasts, we have decided to mention some of the main attractions of the city. If you have nothing to do or if you want to hang out with your friends, this is the best way to spend your time and to boost your brain!
Let’s start with the basics. Do you know any museum in Madrid? We are sure you are familiar with Prado, Reina Sofia, maybe the Royal Palace. This is an excellent start, but Madrid offers much more. Many museums and many exhibitions that will never let you down. If you like contemporary art, you can enjoy it in a dedicated museum. If you are in love with romanticism (and interior design), you can visit a beautiful palace. Is anthropology your biggest passion? You can discover new ethnicities… We guess you got what we mean, right?
When you have a free afternoon, when someone is vising you, for a first date… Any occasion is a good excuse to immerse yourself in culture. If you live in a good location, it is even easier to be informed about the new exhibitions and, believe us, you’ll be extremely motivated to go there every single time you’ll have some free time. Imagine renting your room close to the Reina Sofia. You can go there and enjoy Guernica whenever you want to. We think that this is great and for this reason we will never get tired to advise you and suggest you to look for a shared flat in good locations, close to services and, why not, museums!
The thing that surprised us the most is the great cultural offer of Madrid. Together with the permanent collections, there are extremely interesting exhibitions. Some museums actually don’t have the permanent one. Isn’t that a great thing? We find this very stimulating: we can learn something new every weekend and we never get bored. Sometimes there is the risk to miss an interesting exhibition (a room in the city centre address the problem), there are so many that it is impossible to remember every single date. Nonetheless, we suggest you to check as often as possible their official websites and take some time for culture. Don’t forget to have a look at our monthly agenda, we usually list the new exhibitions there!
So, now you know that you’ll surely find something that interests you (culture is always interesting) and that you can always count on us in order to be informed about the new exhibitions. We have done the first step! Now, we should talk about budget. We know that the entrance tickets may be expensive and paying 10 to 15 euros every week may not be ideal if your budget is low. Great news for you! You have several options. Let’s start with the cheapest one. Many museums are free if you are under 26 and, if you are not, there are some hours with free entry. Well, you have no excuse, right?
And now, the second option that will give you the chance to visit the museums at a reasonable price even if you’re not under 26 anymore. The annual membership. We know what you are thinking about: “You are crazy”, “It must be super expensive”, “What if I don’t use it?”. Let us explain something about this membership. First, the only document required is an identity card. Second, they make it in every ticket office. Finally yet importantly, it costs less than 37 euros. Unfortunately it is valid only for some National Museums (Thyssen, Royal Palace, Palacio de Gaviria and Caixa Forum are excluded), but you can use it in other cities, too (Valencia, Toledo, Valladolid, Cartagena, Mérida and Santillana del Mar).
You’re nearly a pro of the Madrid museums. What you need now is a list! We have selected some of the most interesting museums that you have to visit during your stay and, for the “over 26”, we have added the keyword “free entry” if they are actually free during certain hours or certain days. Nonetheless, check their websites in order to collect more information.
Museums:
- Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia: modern and contemporary art (Free entry).
- Museo del Prado: European art from the 12th century to the 20th (Free entry).
- Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: art museum.
- Royal Palace (Free entry)
- Palacio de Gaviria: several exhibitions
- Caixa Forum: several exhibitions (Free entry: only if you are a Caixa client).
- Museo Sorolla: Sorolla’s house (Free entry).
- Museo Arqueológico Nacional: archaeology (Free entry).
- Museo del Traje: fashion and costumes (Free entry).
- National Museum of decorative arts: fine arts (Free entry).
- Museo de América: several collections from the Americas (Free entry).
- Museo del Romanticismo: art museum (Free entry).
- Museo Cerralbo: art and historical collections in the Marquis de Cerralbo residence (Free entry).
- Museo Nacional de Antropología: anthropology (Free entry).
- Fundación Museo Naval: history of the Spanish navy.
- Museo casa natal de Cervantes: house of the writer (Always free).
- Lope de Vega Museum: house of the writer (Free entry)
You’re spoilt for choice, isn’t it? Living abroad is a great opportunity to enrich your cultural background and a big city like Madrid offers you many options. It would be a shame not to take advantage of it… culture is important, remember it!
As already mentioned, the location of your shared flat is important in order to reach easily the museums and be informed about new exhibitions. If you see posters every day, it is impossible to miss a new collection or a special event of the museum. If your new room is close to museums, you’ll be likely to go there more often. Do not underestimate this detail and look for your apartment carefully. Of course, we will be happy to advice about the best neighbourhood to move to!
Have you chosen the first museum to visit? Collect your flat mates and start your cultural experience!