Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

What to expect

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is housed in the Villahermosa Palace on Paseo del Prado, converted by Rafael Moneo and opened in 1992. The collection was started in the 1920s by Baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and expanded by his son, Hans Heinrich, and Baroness Carmen Cervera helped bring the core to Madrid. It covers about eight centuries of European painting, plus a small display of North American work.

Its strength is how it fills gaps between its neighbours: early Italian and Flemish masters, Dutch and Baroque painting, Impressionism, and early twentieth-century movements. The galleries are arranged chronologically over several floors, and the scale is gentler than at the Prado. Most visitors spend about two hours here.

Don't miss

• Early Italian and Flemish panels
• Portraits by Holbein and Dürer
• Works by Caravaggio and Rembrandt
• Impressionist and Post-Impressionist rooms
• Picasso, Kandinsky and other modern art

Tips for your visit

• Start at the top and work down so the works follow in chronological order.
• It is a good second museum on the Paseo del Arte if the Prado feels like too much.
• Take your time in the galleries, which follow the story of painting in order.
• Book ahead in busy periods; the nearby Prado and Reina Sofía can then fit other days.