One painting organises the whole building: Guernica. The Reina Sofía knows it, and hangs Picasso’s 1937 mural at the centre of a floor that reconstructs the Spanish Civil War around it — the preparatory sketches, the newsreels, the pavilion it was painted for. It is the single most powerful museum room in Spain.
The rest rewards an hour more: Dalí before he became a brand, Miró, and the quiet surrealism corridors. The building itself — an 18th-century hospital with glass lifts bolted on — sits between Atocha and Lavapiés, which makes it the natural museum for anyone staying in the cheap-bed heartland.
The minimum you must see
01
Guernica — Picasso
📍 Room 205.10, second floor, Sabatini building. Enter the floor from the sketches side (205.9) so the mural lands last.
02
The Great Masturbator & early Dalí
📍 Rooms 205.11–206, second floor.
03
Miró rooms
📍 Second floor, Sabatini wing continuation.
04
Un Chien Andalou screening room
📍 Second floor — Buñuel/Dalí’s 1929 film loops all day.
05
The Sabatini courtyard (Calder mobile)
📍 Ground floor — free to enter even without a ticket.
Tips
Closed on Tuesdays — the classic Madrid itinerary mistake. Check before you build your day around it.
The free evening slot is generous (two hours) and Guernica is exactly what it fits. Combine with dinner in Lavapiés, eight minutes downhill.
Questions, answered
Can I photograph Guernica?
No — it’s the one strictly enforced no-photo room in the building. Everywhere else, yes, without flash.
Is the modern wing worth the extra time?
If contemporary art is your thing, yes; if you came for Guernica-Dalí-Miró, the second floor of the Sabatini building is 90% of the payoff.
How much is a Reina Sofía ticket?
€12 — or nothing in the free windows (Mon & Wed–Sat 19:00–21:00, Sun 12:30–14:30), which fit Guernica and the whole second floor.
What day is the Reina Sofía closed?
Tuesday. If that wrecks your plan, CaixaForum — five minutes away — opens every day.
How long do you need?
Two hours for the full visit; one focused hour covers the Guernica floor. In the free evening slot, go straight to room 205.10.
What is the nearest metro?
Estación del Arte (L1) is at the door and Atocha Cercanías is three minutes — the easiest major museum to reach from anywhere on the Cercanías network.
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