Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

The Thyssen is the private collection that fills the gap between the Prado and the Reina Sofia. Where the Prado stops at the 19th century and the Reina Sofia starts at the 20th, the Thyssen covers everything: medieval altarpieces on the top floor, Dutch Golden Age masters and Italian Renaissance paintings on the second, Impressionists and Post-Impressionists in the middle, and German Expressionists, Pop Art, and Edward Hopper on the ground floor.

The collection was assembled by Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and his father over decades, buying art that other collectors overlooked. Spain acquired it in 1993 for a fraction of its value, and it sits in the Villahermosa Palace on the Paseo del Prado, five minutes from the Prado itself. Start on the top floor (floor 2) and work down chronologically. The flow is intuitive and the rooms are small enough that nothing feels overwhelming.

The highlights that most visitors seek out: Hopper's Hotel Room (as lonely as you'd expect), Kirchner's Franzi in Front of a Carved Chair, Van Eyck's Annunciation Diptych, Caravaggio's Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and a strong Impressionist section with Monet, Renoir, and Degas. The Carmen Thyssen collection in the connected wing adds more Impressionists and 19th-century landscapes.

Entry EUR13 for the permanent collection, more with temporary exhibitions. Free on Mondays noon-4 PM. The building is manageable in 2-3 hours, making it the most digestible of the three art triangle museums.