Spain is known around the world for its vibrant art and culture, which attracts a number of tourists from around the world. It has always been said that the best way to discover any destination’s history, culture, and heritage is taking a round in its museums. A museum is an institution or should we say a building that displays a selection of art pieces, artifacts and other heritage related objects for tourists and usual public. If you are planning a tour to Spain and wondering what to visit or not, then read on to know about the museums which you must pay a visit to.
Museu Picasso (Picasso Museum), Barcelona
Located in Barcelona, Spain, the Museu Picasso, also known as Picasso Museum is an elite building which houses a huge collection of artworks by the 20th-century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. This museum possesses over 3, 500 works by the painter and is housed in five adjoining medieval palaces in Barcelona’s La Ribera. This museum was opened for public on March 9, 1963 which makes it special for becoming the first museum dedicated to the Picasso’s work and the only one during his life. The Museum features some of Picasso’s major works, Science and Charity (1897) and The First Communion (1896). In the year 2003, the museum’s interior was refurbished and the artworks were also rearranged. After two years, the Government of Catalonia declared the institution a museum of national interest. If you are a die heart fan of Picasso’s art work, then this museum is a paradise for you!
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Queen Sofia Museum), Madrid
Known with names such as Museo Reina Sofia, Queen Sofia Museum, The Sofia, El Reina Sofia is the national museum of 20th century art of Spain. This extensive museum is named after the Queen Sofia and was officially inaugurated on September 10, 1992. The Queen Sofia Museum is located in Madrid, right at the southern end of the so-called Golden Triangle of Art. Entirely dedicated to Spanish Art, this museum displays excellent collections of Spain’s two greatest masters of 20th century, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. The most famous possession of this museum is Picasso’s painting Guemica. However, it also have collections from different artists and hosts a free-access library specializing in art with a collection of more than 100,000 books, almost 1,000 videos and over 3,500 sound recordings.
Museo del Prado, Madrid
The Museo del Prado, the Prado Museum is the main national art museum of Spain. Situated right at the central Madrid, this huge museum features one of the finest collections of European art ranging from the 12th century to the early 19th century (which is based on the former Spanish Royal Collection). Presently, this museum has a collection of about 7, 600 paintings, 4, 800 prints, 1,000 sculptures, 8, 200 drawings and a large collection of art and historic documents. With having such vast collection of artifacts and art pieces, El Prado is amongst the most visited sites in the world and known to be among the greatest museums of art.
Poble Espanyol, Barcelona
One-of-its kind museum, the Poble Espanyol (Museum Spanish Village) is an exquisite open-air architectural museum. This amazing museum is built on the mountain of Montjuïc, in the city of Barcelona, Spain. This unique museum owes its existence to the imagination of “Josep Puig i Cadafalch” (a spanish architect) who has an idea of a museum, a town that will display the style, architecture and culture of various locations from around Spain in a single place. Sprawling over an area of 42, 000 square meters and consisting of 117 buildings, this museum was established in the year 1929 for the Barcelona International Exhibition, which was held there.
Apart from these, Art Museum of Catalonia (Barcelona), Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum (Madrid), Museum of Santa Cruz (Toledo), are some of other famous museums in Spain. Visit EaseMyTrip holiday package page for various holiday packages to Spain. For more updates on exciting tour and travel deals, one may follow EaseMyTrip on Google+.