Madrid or Barcelona?

Pablo Picasso's Guernica is displayed at The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, which is in Madrid. As far as I know, this is a permanent display.

I lean slightly to Madrid. If you haven’t experienced “ Guernica” in person, you need to go see it!

Both cities have much to offer a visitor, though they are quite different (don't think of them as part of the same country, they're not really).

Which one for you for this trip? Depends a lot on your interests and preferences. Have you been to Spain before? Is this "4-5 days" part of a bigger trip? Where else are you going, and where will you be coming from/going to?

The ages of the travelers may also make a difference (I'm trying not to generalize, but Barcelona is a very powerful magnet for younger travelers and some subsets of travelers, though not exclusively so...).

Heads you win! Tails you win!

Madrid for me. But then Barcelona is nice!

I vote for Madrid, also.
Though I really liked Montserrat, which is easily reached from Barcelona. But if choosing between the two cities it would be Madrid all day.

You might want to take a look at this before making a decision.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain/think-twice-about-visiting-barcelona-this-summer-2024

In 2013, I visited Madrid and Barcelona. Thought I was expecting to like Barcelona more, I ended up preferring Madrid.

I loved seeing the Reina Sofia, the Prado and bullfight at the Las Ventas Bullring in Madrid. I think I stood amazed in front of "Guernica" for an hour. Though the architecture of Barcelona is well-known, Madrid's is a just as superb. I loved walking around city with its two great public squares.

There were some great things in Barcelona, too. I loved the pedestrian-only Barri Gotic quarter, which is like stepping back 500-plus years. I laid out on a beach on the Mediterranean for a couple hours. And I took a fun side trip to Salvador Dali's home in Figueres, about an hour north of the city via train.

I think Barcelona is better to just walk around, it's a prettier city. But Madrid has by far the better museums. If you like art museums, go to Madrid. If you don't care much for art museums, go to Barcelona.

We did both cities in 2011. I was really surprised I didn't like Barcelona more. Before we left I heard I would love Barcelona, that I would want to move there, that I wouldn't want to leave, that they would have to "drag me onto the plane" when it was time to leave, that it would totally enthrall and enchant me. I was so excited to be in independence-minded Cataluña. I kept waiting for that "love" moment to happen, and it really didn't. I very much appreciated the Sagrada Familia, and our day up on Montjuic Hill that was quieter, less people, with more greenspace. But I have to say, though our time in Madrid was shorter, I actually liked it there better. Museums weren't even open because it was a Tuesday! I have always wondered about that trip and why I felt the way I did because I was frankly expecting the opposite.

Because of the drought in Catalonia I’d head to Madrid. You can visit Catalonia once that region gets some ran.

"Madrid has by far the better museums." No surprise there — for every single euro the Madrid (i.e national) government spends on museums in Barcelona it spends at least 30 in Madrid. At a point in the early 1990s (driven by an envy of Barcelona's hosting of the 1992 Olympics) the spend was as high as 45 times.
True: Jordi Pujol, the then Catalan separatist President of Catalunya, did not want the Olympics in Barcelona — but the republican socialist Mayor of Barcelona, Pasqual Maragall, did.
In order to get Spanish official sate backing for Barcelona's bid to host the Olympics Catalan republican socialists did a deal with the ruling Spanish socialists and agreed to back the financing of the first AVE (high-speed) rail line — between Madrid and Sevilla. "From Maybe Somewhere to Maybe Nowhere — in a hurry," as Catalan wags claimed at the the time.
It's as well to remember that Juan Saramanch, then president of the IOC (International Olympics Committee), was Catalan — but from a decidely Francoist (Nationalist) background.
Maragall played a blinder. Madrid got its new-fangled railway — in time to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the Americas, and Barcelona (and Catalunya) got the Olympics.
Who, do you think, came out best? In terms of global appreciation and recognition?
Influential elements within the Madrid government have never forgotten, nor forgiven that, and have since throttled cultural spending in Catalunya — preferring instead to steer huge amounts of money towards cultural projects in Valencia, Málaga, Bilbao, Zaragoza etc etc etc.

The one thing about Spain that always surprises me is how passionate Spaniards are about their regional birthplaces. They will always say- -I'm from Leon, or Sevilla, etc., even though most tourists can barely find the cities on the map.

There has been a long history of proposed separatism across the country of Spain, there is a level of competitiveness, and there are distinct regional cultural differences, but again, not necessarily detectable or understood by tourists.

For me, the capital city always shines bright--here is where the power of the monarchs was consolidated after the reconquest, and from then the city continued to grow. Madrid is also surrounded by marvelous historic cities that are easily accessible --Toledo, Segovia, Avila, Salamanca. Castilla is where the Spanish used around the world developed. This is the heart of Spain for me. (The museums are fantastic, but most capital cities have very nice museums.)

Guernica is startling, shocking, and sad----Spanish power and political differences twisted into insane violence. I felt the same way when I visited the Valle de los Caidos when Franco was still buried there.

Yes, Barcelona is great to visit, it is on the coast and has access to superb beaches, it has a very nice medieval area, and the Gaudi creations elevate the city to an artistic nucleus. I do think it has become quite overrun with tourists and cruise ship visitors, and petty crime has certainly increased.

Regarding the decision--if I am in the area of Barcelona, I will certainly stop and visit, but I will go out of my way to get to Madrid and its neighbors. Strangely enough, I am arriving in Barcelona after a cruise this Summer, and immediately after disembarkation we are on a train to Madrid.

By the way, I have been traveling to Spain for decades, and I appreciate RS, but I prefer to "know" a country deeply by studying the language, history, literature, culture, and so forth. Spain will always be a second home for me.

Barcelona by a mile IMO.

In Barcelona, there is a gothic quarter, a moderniste area, beach, world's fair site, even some small Roman remnants.

Madrid, again IMO (you will get arguments) has no history by European standards. Madrid offers a ton of museums (Prado is a world class art museum) and green spaces that are unusual (because it was built later, and green space was part of the plan). Madrid is known for night life, which isn't important to me.

If you choose Madrid, at least do yourself a favor and spend two or three nights in Toledo. Toledo is the historic capital; in effect it is the historic center that Madrid is missing.

Both cities are expensive, by Spanish standards. Both have unusually high crime levels. To date, Barcelona and Madrid are the two cities, in my travels, where thieves are the most ubiquitous (including Rome, Prague, Budapest and Paris).

i was in both cities last year. if art is your thing then the prado, reina sofia, thyssen-bornemisza, and sorolla museums make madrid the clear choice by far. in addition, day trips to toledo (el greco's in original sites) and segovia (medieval churches and roman aqueduct) are easy and highly recommended.

Is "Guernica" on your list or IS "Guernica" your whole/main part of your list?

It is a must see in Madrid but it is not the only reason to visit Spain. Barcelona and Madrid stand on their own, so both are worthy of visiting.

If "all things are equal" then sure, Guernica breaks the tie. If not, a lot of other things including something simple like the dates of your visit or other places (if any) on your itinerary would have a bigger impact in the decision.

I preferred Madrid overall to Barcelona. While Barcelona does have some amazing things to see, I found it overwhelmingly crowded and busy. Madrid also has amazing things to see, but they are not as Gaudi. (See what I did there. ;) )

I loved Madrid! Beautiful and so clean! I was surprised expecting it to be more like NYC. Lots of museums and terrific restaurants! The buildings are stunning!

My personal choice would be Madrid, as Barcelona is just not much to my taste; I really dislike Gaudi's architecture, and it seems as though tours of the city want to focus one's attention on the Gaudí buildings. Barcelona is also crowded and noisy in a way I didn't expect. But this is all individual taste, and I loved the inland towns of Catalunya.

Madrid is IMO the more cosmopolitan city, with much more diversity of experience. And of course the museums are fantastic, and I'm a museum geek. Huh, big surprise I'd prefer Madrid. Don't miss the Prado, one of the truly great art museums in the world.

Finally, I wouldn't stress too much about crime. Neither Madrid nor Barcelona is as dangerous as any midsized city in the USA.

It's always Madrid for me whenever this question arises. Barcelona is great in its own right but for me, Madrid has so much more.

And like others have said, if you haven't seen Guernica, you should see it. The entire museum is nice too and there is a lovely sculpture garden too.

Saw this on this forum posted on this website: "This year in Barcelona and the wider Catalonia region we are enduring our most severe drought ever recorded. Most city fountains have been shut off, there is a ban on refilling hotel swimming pools, there is a ban on watering public gardens, beach showers are shut off, and hotels now ask guests to limit showers to just four minutes. If conditions don't improve, water may even need to be shipped in from neighboring regions, just to keep Barcelona functioning over the summer.
I fear the tourist season this summer in Barcelona will bring on even more restrictions, when we will have a collision of a climate crisis and overtourism crisis to create a really dreadful situation for both locals and tourists. Please consider alternative destinations in Spain this summer."

I think that would help you answer your question and if I was choosing one or the other I'd go with visitng Madrid given the situation.

Here's the original link to the website for reference: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/spain/think-twice-about-visiting-barcelona-this-summer-2024

from the German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle:
"Travel Tips: How to Spend the Perfect Day in Madrid"
https://www.dw.com/en/travel-tips-how-to-spend-the-perfect-day-in-madrid/video-68553931

The Washington Post ran an article on Guernica this weekend that I found interesting and worthy of a read if headed to Madrid.

• WaPo link to Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ marked a specific event. What does it say today?

I much prefer Madrid over Barcelona.