Hotels near Reina Sofia Museum

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia is Madrid's modern art museum - Spain's national collection of 20th-century and contemporary art. The unmissable piece is Picasso's Guernica (1937), the 7.7-metre anti-war canvas painted in response to the Nazi bombing of the Basque town. The museum also holds Dali's masterpieces (The Great Masturbator, Girl at the Window), Miro, Tapies, and 22,000 other works.

Entry is EUR 12 (free Mon, Wed-Sat 7-9pm; Sun 1.30-7pm; closed Tue). Allow 2-3 hours. The 18th-century building was a former hospital; the Jean Nouvel-designed 2005 extension nearly doubled the floor area. Photography is forbidden in front of Guernica - guards enforce strictly.

Pro Tip: Visit Mon-Sat 7-9pm for free entry - the queue is shorter than the Prado's free hours. Dedicate at least 15 minutes to Guernica alone; read the wall-mounted history of the canvas's exile in MoMA New York and 1981 return to Spain.