CENTRO DE ARTE REINA SOFIA

The home of Picasso’s Guernica houses a venerable collection of art which has made this one of the world’s foremost contemporary art museums, in line with London’s Tate or Paris’ Pompidou. Its permanent collection, housed on the second and fourth floors, boasts pieces from the likes of Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Man Ray, Francis Bacon and Manuel Hernández Monpó.

An essential visitor attraction, it’s the mainstay of most modern art exhibitions in Madrid but is an equally pleasant place to just hang out. Stretch out on the lawn on sunny days, or grab a bite or a drink in the Cafeteria Nouvel (named after Jean Nouvel who designed this part of the museum) which comes to life late afternoon with DJ sessions and locals stopping by for an after-work refuelling stop.