The Rick Steves Guidebook, Spain 2019, in the section that deals with Madrid, seems to point the reader toward the Reina Sofia museum with detailed descriptions by room, while giving somewhat short shrift to the Thyssen museum. Our experience was that the Thyssen was, in fact, the better organized and more interesting - unless one is a true devotee of modern art. The Thyssen leads the viewer through a chronologically organized trip from the 1600's to the twentieth century with excellent works by both North American and European artists. The impressionist period is particularly well-represented, with works by most major artists in that genre.
Posted by
Atlanta
2469 posts
Interesting comments - thanks for the heads up. One of these days I plan a trip to Spain. I'm thinking the Barcelona/Madrid tour might work for me. Or, maybe I will sign up for the 14 Day Best of Spain!
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4573 posts
I also enjoyed the Thyssen. I will admit that even though I used the 2017 guide for my Spain visit, I rarely use the minutae in a book as I go and spend as much time as I want - which is usually every room and every piece of art. The one time I decided to use his museum audioguide, the Musee d'Orsay was under construction - useless.
Thyssen has temporary exhibits worth researching beforehand and is interspersing new modern acquisitions amongst the old masters wings. These are hard to record in any book as I expect they are also in temporary locations.
I would encourage even RS devotees to use other guide books to make their own choices rather than one person's opinion. I understand the target market is for efficient overviews of cities with the short American vacation period in mind, but not every tourist has the same interests or time constraints.
.....I wonder if the Madrid guide would be more comprehensive..
Posted by
stevens point, wi, usa
1189 posts
Hola from Wisconsin,
Speaking of museums in Madrid, CaixaForum is worth entering just to experience the entrance staircase. This museum is closest to the Atocha train station of the other museums mentioned in this post.
Wayne iNWI
Posted by
Pacific Northwest
882 posts
In another posting on this forum, I mentioned what I called the "Miracle Kilometer" - that portion of Madrid that connects the Thyssen, Prado and Reina Sofia. While I believe the Prado contains the finest picture collection I've seen, I equally enjoy both the Thyssen and Reina Sofia and I do not favor one over the other. I sometimes wonder, if I had unlimited time in Madrid (a fantasy that would please me), how much of that time would I spend in those three "cathedrals"? My guess is.....a very very long time.
Oh, and "Judy B" - although it is not my wish to favor a particular RS tour guide (I have reason to believe there is a great deal of excellence to pass around), if you do elect the "Best of Barcelona and Madrid" tour and if Federico Barroso is your tour guide - you just won the lottery!
Posted by
3245 posts
Overall, I enjoyed the Thyssen much more than the Reina Sofia. But, no one work of art stands out in my memory of the Thyssen, and seeing Guernica in person at the Reina Sofia was a highlight of our time in Madrid.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
4573 posts
no one work of art stands out in my memory of the Thyssen Mine was the one Rembrant, some interesting Picassos and the landscape made up of different coloured and patterned camo fabric (not all memories are positive ones...)
Posted by
Atlanta
2469 posts
Thanks for the tip, Blue439, I will remember his name. Since I’ve never been to Spain, I likely will do the 14 day Best of Spain one. Does he lead that tour?
Posted by
Chicago
75 posts
For those interested in museums in Madrid, I recommend the Museo Arqueologico Nacional. It is perhaps a twenty minute walk from the Prado on the edge of the prosperous Salamanca district. The museum was recently renovated and has spectacular installations of the art of Iberia from the ancient, medieval Christian, and Islamic periods. You can see parts of Andalusian palaces, ivory carving, floor mosaics, etc. A bonus is the life-size reproduction of the cave paintings of Altamira (you enter the exhibit outside the building).