Explore a treasure chest full of Spanish and European art spanning several centuries on a visit to the Golden Triangle of Art. This city center district encompasses the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, three big hitters of the art world that lie within a short walk of each other.

If your triangle tour starts from north to south the first museum you’ll come across is the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. It holds a rich collection of European art from the 13th to the 20th century. Wander through galleries to study masterpieces by leading names such as Monet, Van Gogh, Caravaggio and Rubens.

Afterward, walk south for approximately 5 minutes to the triangle’s biggest draw, the Prado

Museum. One of Spain’s top tourist attractions is housed inside a colossal neoclassical building and has been attracting visitors ever since it opened its doors in 1819.

The Prado is home to more than 8,000 paintings, although less than a quarter are on display at any one time. Other treasures include sculptures, prints, drawings and coins. Study works that reflect the artistic tastes of Spain’s 16th- and 17th-century monarchs who collected them. Featured artists include Rubens, Goya, Titian and El Greco.

Then go to the Reina Sofía Museum, which is located in an old hospital building from the late 18th century. Devote several hours to exploring five floors of permanent and temporary exhibitions covering contemporary art from the 19th century to the present day. Among the artists whose works are on display are Salvador Dalí, Francis Bacon and Joan Miró. One of the museum’s most well-known works isGuernica, Pablo Picasso’s oil on canvas of the bombing of the Basque city in 1937, during the Spanish civil war.

The three museums of the Golden Triangle of Art lie in the center of the city on the Paseo del Prado, one of its main boulevards. Travel here by bus, metro or car. If you're driving, you can pay a fee to leave your car in parking garages in the area.