🖼️ At The Sun Places we know that luxury is also found in art and culture.
That's why we invite you to discover the Reina Sofía Museum, Spain's national museum of contemporary art and one of the most important in the world. Inaugurated in 1992, this museum is the third vertex of Madrid's Art Walk, alongside the Prado Museum and the Thyssen Museum.
Its collection, spanning from the early avant-gardes to the most recent art, is a fascinating journey through the history of 20th and 21st-century art.
Its halls contain masterpieces by Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Miró, Juan Gris and many other great artists.
But if there is one work that defines the Reina Sofía Museum, it is Guernica by Pablo Picasso, an 8-metre-long mural that is the universal symbol of barbarism and the horror of war.
The Sun Places invites you to discover this artistic treasure, staying in our Luxury Apartments in Madrid.
Below, we tell you everything you can't miss in this temple of contemporary art.
History of the Reina Sofía Museum
The history of the Reina Sofía Museum is as fascinating as the works it houses. Its main building, known as the Sabatini Building, was built in the 18th century as a general hospital.
After decades of abandonment and several demolition proposals, it was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1977 and transformed into an art centre.
In 1992, the museum opened its doors, becoming the benchmark for contemporary art in Spain.
Today, the Reina Sofía Museum is one of the most important museums in the world, with nearly 25,000 works in its collection.
🏛️ The Sabatini Building and the Jean Nouvel extension
The Reina Sofía Museum occupies two main buildings: the historic Sabatini Building and the modern extension by French architect Jean Nouvel.
The Sabatini Building, built by Francesco Sabatini in the 18th century, is an example of Spanish neoclassical architecture. Its interior, articulated around cloisters and a central garden, houses the museum's permanent collection, distributed over four floors.
The Jean Nouvel extension, inaugurated in 2005, added a contemporary and open-plan space that houses temporary exhibitions, the auditorium, the bookshop and the museum's services.
The combination of both buildings creates an architectural dialogue between past and present that perfectly reflects the mission of the Reina Sofía Museum: connecting tradition with modernity.
📍 Location and how to visit the Reina Sofía Museum
- The Reina Sofía Museum is located at Calle de Santa Isabel, 52, in the heart of Madrid, in the famous Art Triangle, just a few metres from the Prado Museum and the Thyssen Museum.
The Reina Sofía Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm, and Sundays from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. It remains closed on Tuesdays.
General admission costs €12, with discounts for students, seniors and groups. The museum offers free admission on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and on Sundays from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm.
From our Luxury Apartments in Madrid in the Salamanca Neighbourhood, you can reach the Reina Sofía Museum in less than 15 minutes by taxi or public transport.
🖼️ Picasso's Guernica: The masterpiece of the Reina Sofía Museum
Guernica by Pablo Picasso is the most famous work in the Reina Sofía Museum and, probably, one of the most important paintings of the 20th century.
Painted between 1 May and 4 June 1937, this mural of 349.3 x 776.6 cm was commissioned for the Spanish Pavilion at the 1937 International Exhibition in Paris.
The work was inspired by the German air force's bombing of the Basque town of Guernica, an attack that Picasso learned about through photographs published in the French press.
Far from being a graphic report, Guernica is a general indictment against barbarism and the terror of war. In the room where Guernica is displayed, which during the Civil War was a place where survivors of the Condor Legion bombings were treated, the work resonates as a testimony to a history experienced first-hand by the city of Madrid.
Guernica is a complex, late-Cubist and Surrealist painting that uses a language of universal symbols: the horse, the bull, the woman with the dead child.
Its landscape format and use of grisaille refer to cinema and press photography, accentuating its dramatic character. The work was acquired by the Spanish State in 1937 and, after a long exile at MoMA in New York, returned to Spain in 1981.
Today, it is the emblem of the Reina Sofía Museum and a symbol of the fight against oppression and violence.
🎨 Masterpieces and artists at the Reina Sofía Museum
The collection of the Reina Sofía Museum is one of the most comprehensive of contemporary art in the world. In addition to Guernica, the museum houses works by some of the most important artists of the 20th century:
- Salvador Dalí: The museum has an important collection of works by the Surrealist genius, including The Great Masturbator and The Persistence of Memory.
- Joan Miró: The collection includes works from all periods of the artist, from his early works to his latest creations.
- Juan Gris: The museum houses an important collection of this master of Cubism, with works such as The Washbasin and Still Life with Checked Tablecloth.
- Pablo Picasso: In addition to Guernica, the museum has a wide collection of works by the artist from Málaga, spanning from his early works to his latest creations.
- Other artists: The collection also includes works by artists such as Eduardo Chillida, Antoni Tàpies, Francis Bacon, José Gutiérrez Solana and many others.
In 2026, the Reina Sofía Museum has completely renewed the presentation of its permanent collection. The new COLLECTION. CONTEMPORARY ART: 1975-PRESENT, which occupies the fourth floor of the Sabatini Building, tells the story of the art of the last fifty years through 403 works by 224 artists.
This new tour, more accessible, dynamic and educational, places the visitor at the centre of the experience.
🎨 Temporary exhibitions in 2026
The Reina Sofía Museum has a very interesting programme of temporary exhibitions for 2026. These are some of the most notable:
- Milk, snow, tear, hand. The know-how of Blanca Sánchez: An exhibition dedicated to the artist Blanca Sánchez, which will be on display from 26 June to 9 October 2026.
- Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Sweet revenge: The first solo exhibition in Madrid of this conceptual artist, which will be on display from 27 May to 12 October 2026.
- Reopening of the Palacio de Velázquez: In spring 2026, the Palacio de Velázquez, located in the Retiro Park, will reopen its doors with a new exhibition programme.
🎫 Private tours and VIP experiences
For The Sun Places guests, the Reina Sofía Museum offers exclusive private tours.
These tours allow you to explore the museum's collections and exhibitions in complete privacy, guided by specialists in contemporary art.
Private tours are tailored to the specific interests of the attendees and can include iconic works such as Guernica in an intimate, uninterrupted setting.
In addition, tours can be accompanied by cocktails, lunches or dinners in exclusive spaces of the museum, such as the Sabatini auditorium or the garden of the Nouvel Building.
The Sun Places can arrange these VIP experiences, as well as purchasing tickets without queues and organising a personalised tour of the museum's galleries.
🎭 What the Reina Sofía Museum represents for Madrid and The Sun Places
The Reina Sofía Museum is the main exponent of contemporary art in Spain and one of the most important museums in the world.
It is the third vertex of Madrid's Art Triangle, alongside the Prado Museum and the Thyssen Museum, and attracts millions of visitors from around the world. It represents modernity, creativity and Madrid's ability to project itself as a leading cultural capital.
For The Sun Places, discovering the Reina Sofía Museum is a natural extension of our philosophy of offering authentic luxury experiences.
That is why our Luxury Apartments in Madrid are located in the most central areas, just a few steps from the museum.
Furthermore, the Reina Sofía Museum is connected to other great attractions of the capital that we have explored in other articles: the Retiro Park, the Cibeles, the Plaza Mayor, the Las Letras Neighbourhood and the Habsburg Madrid.
All of this makes Madrid a unique destination in the world, and the Reina Sofía Museum is one of its brightest cultural jewels.
✨ The perfect plan with The Sun Places to discover the Reina Sofía Museum
Friday: Arrival and first artistic immersion
- In the afternoon, a walk through the Retiro Park and the Paseo del Prado
- Dinner at Casa Lucio, one of Madrid's most emblematic restaurants, famous for its huevos rotos and traditional cuisine
Saturday: Day of contemporary art
- In the morning, you visit the Reina Sofía Museum with a private guided tour arranged by The Sun Places. You discover Picasso's Guernica, the works of Dalí and Miró, and the new contemporary art collection
- In the evening, dinner at DiverXO, the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Madrid
Sunday: Relax and farewell
Ready to discover the Reina Sofía Museum with The Sun Places?
📞 Contact us and let us organise your perfect artistic getaway.
But if you prefer other destinations, The Sun Places also has prepared for you: Luxury Apartments in Barcelona, Luxury Accommodation in Costa Brava, Luxury Apartments in Seville, Luxury Apartments in Cádiz, Luxury Apartments in Puerto Banús, Luxury Accommodation in Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Luxury Apartments in Córdoba.
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