Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza — Visit Guide | Cheap Hotels Madrid
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Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
Museums · €13 · 2h

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

Seven centuries of painting in strict order — the missing pieces of the other two museums.

The Thyssen is the private collection that fills the Prado’s gaps: Italian primitives, German Renaissance, Dutch interiors, Impressionism, German Expressionism, American painting — the movements Spain’s kings never bought. Hung chronologically from the top floor down, it is the closest thing in Europe to walking a single, coherent history of Western painting.

Start on floor 2 (1300s) and let gravity do the curating: down through Ghirlandaio and Carpaccio, past Caravaggio, into Monet, Van Gogh and Hopper by the ground floor. The free Monday window covers the permanent collection — the best free four hours in the city after the Prado’s evenings.

The minimum you must see

01
Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni — Ghirlandaio
📍 Floor 2, room 5 — the museum’s unofficial logo.
02
Young Knight in a Landscape — Carpaccio
📍 Floor 2, room 7.
03
Saint Catherine of Alexandria — Caravaggio
📍 Floor 2, Italian Baroque rooms.
04
Les Vessenots in Auvers — Van Gogh
📍 Floor 1, rooms 32–33.
05
Hotel Room — Edward Hopper
📍 Ground floor, room 47 — the American collection Europe forgot to buy.

Tips

Monday free hours are permanent-collection only and the queue forms before noon; arrive 11:40 or after 14:30.

It is the least crowded of the big three at all hours — the sane choice for a weekend afternoon when the Prado is packed.

Questions, answered

How is it different from the Prado?
The Prado is deep (whole rooms of one painter); the Thyssen is wide (one great picture per painter, seven centuries in order). They complement rather than repeat.
Do I need to book?
Only for big temporary shows. The permanent collection rarely sells out.
How much is a Thyssen ticket?
€13 for the permanent collection — and free on Mondays 12:00–16:00 (permanent collection only).
Is the Thyssen ever closed?
No full closing day: Tue–Sun 10:00–19:00 plus Monday afternoons — the only one of the big three without a dark day.
How long do you need?
Two hours top to bottom. Start on floor 2 and descend chronologically; the hang curates the visit for you.
What is the nearest metro?
Banco de España (L2), two minutes across the Paseo del Prado.

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