Madrid Highlights + Prado Museum

OverView

Take your camera or smartphone and join our walking tours and motor coach tours to remember Madrid in a different way! Madrid Highlights Start the tour from Julia Travel office where we take our coach and head to the Plaza de Oriente, then we will arrive at the Debod Temple of must where we will stop for a walk and taking some pictures accompanied by our guide. After this visit we will return to our coach to head towards the Plaza Mayor where we make a new stop and we will be able to visit la Plaza de Villa and Puerta del Sol. We will return to the coach to continue our visit Carrera de San Jerónimo Street, Las Cortes (Spanish Parliament), Neptuno’s Square (Famous artistic fountain), Paseo Del Prado (Walk of Art: Thyssen, Prado & Reina Sofía Museums), Atocha Railway Station, Royal Botanic Gardens of Madrid, Cibeles Square (Famous artistic fountain), Alcalá Street, Alcalá’s Gate, Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas (Bullring) where we will make our last stop. To conclude we will return to the coach and end up seeing Santiago Bernabéu Stadium (Home of Real Madrid CF) end of the tour. We will make convenient stops for walking and take pictures at Plaza Mayor, Parque del Retiro and Las Ventas Bullring, if the weather permits and always accompanied by our guide. Please note that the itinerary is subject to change due to the events to be celebrated in the City (demonstrations, sport events, cultural events, oficial acts and public works). The building that today houses the national museum del Prado was designed by architect Juan de Villanueva in 1785. It was constructed to house the Natural History Cabinet, by orders of King Charles III. However, the building's final purpose - as the new Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures - was the decision of the monarch's grandson, King Ferdinand VII, encouraged by his wife Queen Maria Isabel de Braganza. The national museum del Prado, opened to the public for the first time in November 1819. The Museum's first catalogue, published in 1819, included 311 paintings, although at that time its collection comprised just over 1,510 pictures from the various Reales Sitios (Royal Residences). The exceptionally important royal collection, which represents the foundation of the Museum's collection as we know it today, started to increase significantly in the 16th century during the time of Charles V and continued to thrive under the succeeding Habsburg and Bourbon Monarchs. It is down to them than nowadays we can contemplate in the Museum as greatest masterpieces as The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch, The Nobleman with his hand on his Chest by El Greco, Las​ Meninas by Velázquez and The Family of Carlos IV by Goya. The visit will take place in chronological order, starting with the exhibit hall where the masterpieces of J. Bosch (El Bosco) (1450-1516): The Table of the 7 Deadly Sins, The Hay Wain, The temptations of San Antonio, The Stone of Madness and The Garden of Delights, to continue with the rooms devoted to the Greco (1540-1614): The gentleman's hand on his chest, The Trinity, Christ embraced the cross and The Annunciation. Velázquez (1599-1660): The Worship, Drunkards, Equestrian Portraits, the Forge of Vulcan, The Christ, The spinners, Spears and Las Meninas, ending with Goya (1746-1828): The family of Carlos IV Pictures, The Shootings of May 2, Pestles and Black Paintings.