What to do when you’re in Spain? It might be fun to visit a museum after visiting all the touristic places. But where to start? There are so many museums in Spain, it’s such a big country and there are so many famous Spanish artists. That’s why we’ve made a list with our favorite museums in Spain.
What to expect of our favorite museums in Spain?
We aren’t the only ones who are in love with these museums! There are thousands of tourists with us, and that’s one of the reasons that it’s very busy at most of these museums. We recommend you to buy a ticket in advance, so you won’t be disappointed if you arrive at the museum and can’t visit it. It would be a shame to miss out on our favorite museums in Spain.
Guggenheim Bilbao – Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is one of the most famous museums in Spain. It’s part of the three-Guggenheim museums located in Bilbao, New York and Venice. We can safely say that the building itself also is a piece of art and once you go inside you will be overwhelmed with all the pieces you’ll see. The artworks differ from surrealism to modern art, including Andy Warhol’s pop-art. The Guggenheim definitely belongs to our favorite museums in Spain.
Picasso museum – Malaga
There are several Picasso museums, but right now we are talking about the Picasso museum in Malaga (Andalusia). This museum is located in the birth house of Pablo Picasso and is located right in the center of the city. More than 200 works are exhibited in the museum and you can even go through the museum with a (free) audio guide.
Teatre-Museu Dalí – Figueres
The Teatre-Museu Dalí is located in Salvador Dalí his hometown, Figueres. Figueres is a small town in the autonomous region of Catalonia (Girona). The building in which the Dalí musueum is located, was a theater from 1849 to 1939. During the Spanish civil war it was partly destroyed and from 1974 it was used as the Dalí museum. Usually there are very long lines for this museum because it is very popular. Due to the hustle and bustle in this museum you may not walk around in a museum ‘quietly’, but the artworks make up for a lot, just like the building (also a piece of art)!
Centro de Arte Reina Sofia – Madrid
The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid (abbreviated MNCARS) is a museum named after the Spanish queen Sofía. The museum exhibits modern and contemporary art in Madrid. You will encounter one of Picasso’s most famous works here, Guernica, and there are also several works by Salvador Dalí. But besides these two famous names, there are a huge number of collections of other famous and somewhat less famous Spanish artists. As an art lover, you will certainly feel at home here, which is why it is one of our favorite museums in Spain.
Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciènces – Valencia
If you have the chance to visit Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciènces in Valencia, grab it with both hands! Valencia is known for this, the beautiful white buildings and the blue water. The city of art and science consists of various parts, a 3D IMAX cinema, a large city garden, an opera house, a gigantic aquarium and science museum. The motto of the museum is ‘forbidden not to touch’, with which they aim at the interactive exhibitions. You should see definitely visit it because it’s fun and educational, also for children!
Museo de Bellas Artes – Seville
Last but not least, the Museo de Bellas Artes in Seville. This museum is considered one of the most important art museums in Spain and is located in an old convent building. With a beautiful patio and the amount of artworks, this museum, undoubtedly, belongs to our six favorite museums in Spain. Even better, for residents of the European Union the access is free! Otherwise it will cost you € 1.50.