The Prado Museum is Madrid's top cultural sight, and one of the world's greatest art galleries. Located in the eponymous street, El Paseo del Prado, its dazzling display of works by the great European masters such as Velázquez, Goya, Raphael, Rubens, and Bosch (among other major Italian and Flemish artists), is housed in an 18th-century Neo-Classical building that opened as a museum in 1819.

Its name derives from the district where it is located, formerly an area of market gardens known as the "prado" or meadow. The Spanish queen at the time had been impressed with the Louvre in Paris and wanted to showcase an enormous collection in her own country. The result is several thousand works at the present time, with a recent modern extension allowing more of them to be displayed.

The building that today houses the Museo Nacional del Prado was designed by architect Juan de Villanueva in 1785. It was constructed to house the Natural History Cabinet, by orders of King Charles III. However, the building's final purpose - as the new Royal Museum of Paintings and Sculptures - was the decision of the monarch's grandson, King Ferdinand VII, encouraged by his wife Queen Maria Isabel de Braganza.The Royal Museum, soon quickly renamed the National Museum of Paintings and Sculptures and subsequently the Museo Nacional del Prado, opened to the public for the first time in November 1819. The Museum's first catalogue, published in 1819, included 311 paintings, although at that time its collection comprised just over 1,510 pictures from the various Reales Sitios (Royal Residences). The exceptionally important royal collection, which represents the foundation of the Museum's collection as we know it today, started to increase significantly in the 16th century during the time of Charles V and continued to thrive under the succeeding Habsburg and Bourbon Monarchs. It is down to them than nowadays we can contemplate in the Museum as greatest masterpieces as The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosh, Knight with his hand in his Chest by El Greco, The Death of the Virgin by Mantegna, The Holy Family known as La Perla by Raphael, Charles V at Mülhber by Titian, Christ washing the Disciples' Feet by Tintoretto, Self-portrait by Durër , Las Meninas by Velázquez, The Three Graces by Rubens, and The Family of Charles IV by Goya.

In addition, more outstanding paintings - which belonged to the Museo de la Trinidad - entered the Prado, among them The Fountain of Grace by the School of Jan Van Eyck, Auto-de-fé with Saint Domingo de Guzmán by Pedro Berruguete, and five canvases by El Greco executed for the Colegio de Doña María de Aragón. Most of the Museum's 19th-century paintings came from the former Museo de Arte Moderno, including works by the Madrazo, Vicente López, Carlos de Haes, Rosales and Sorolla.

More than 2,300 paintings have been incorporated into the Museum del Prado since its opening as well as a large number of sculptures, prints, drawings and works of art through bequests, donations and purchases, which account for most of the New Acquisitions. Particularly important was the Barón Emile d'Erlanger's donation of Goya's Black Paintings in 1881. Among the works that have entered the collection through purchase are some outstanding ones acquired in recent years including two works by El Greco, Fable and The Flight to Egypt acquired in 1993 and 2001, Countess of Chinchón by Goya bought in 2000, and Velázquez's Portrait of the man called 'The Pope's Barber' acquired in 2003.

Important bequests have enriched the Museum's collection. Among them we should mention the magnificent collection of medals bequeathed by Don Pablo Bosch's, the vast collection of drawings and decorative arts that belonged to don Pedro Fernández Durán's, and the Ramón de Errazu Bequest of 19th-century Painting.

Collection and visitors number increased greatly throughout 19th and 20th century. In order to accommodate them in a more accurate way, consecutive expansion projects were undertaken to the Villanueva's building to the point that any further intervention was not longer possible. At this point, the Museum's development was solved by constructing a new building located on a site facing the east facade of the Prado, and interconnecting the two buildings from within.

Coinciding in time with the execution of its latest and most ambitious expansion plan (2001-2007), the Museum's latest efforts towards modernization took place in 2004 when changes of its legal and statutory framework were approved. These modifications were based on the need of providing the Museum with a more flexible management, speeding up its performance and increasing its capacity to self-finance. The Museum's new status was made effective by the Museo Nacional del Prado Act, November 2003, and a subsequent amending Statute approved by Royal Decree, 12th March 2004.

The sheer scale of the collection can make it daunting, so it is important to arrive with a few of the highlights in mind and concentrate on those. Perhaps the collection's most famous painting is Velazquez's "Las Meninas," showing princess Margarita and her two ladies-in-waiting as well as the artist himself with paintbrush and palette in hand. Another of his famous works, "The Triumph of Bacchus," shows the god of wine with a group of drunkards.

The other major artist of the collection is Goya, whose depiction of nudity in the painting "The Naked Maja" led him to be accused of obscenity. His works make up such a large part of the museum, that his statue stands outside the main entrance.

Another outstanding painting in the history of art is "The Garden of Delights" by Bosch, whose several other works are also represented at the Prado, as he was one of King Filipe II's favourite artists. Also look out for Rubens' "The Adoration of the Magi" and "The Three Graces," depicting three women (the Graces or the daughters of Zeus), dancing and representing Love, Joy, and Revelry.

Rembrandt is also present with his fine self-portrait and "Artemisia," the subject of which is still unclear. Another self-portrait is that of Albrecht Dürer, who painted it at the age of 26.

For a 1-hour visit, The Prado recommends the following masterpieces:

'The Crucifixion' by Juan de Flandes, Room 57b
'The Nobleman with his Hand on his Chest' by El Greco, Room 10a
'Las Meninas' by Velázquez, Room 12
'Jacob's Dream' by José de Ribera, Room 16b
'The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid: the executions on Principe Pio hill' by Goya, Room 39
'The Annunciation' by Fra Angelico, Room 49
'The Cardinal' by Raphael, Room 49
'The Emperor Charles V, on Horseback, in Mühlberg' by Titian, Room 11
'The Immaculate Conception' by Tiepolo Giambattista, Room 89
'Descent from the Cross' by Roger van der Weyden, Room 58
'The Garden of Earthly Delights' by Hieronymus Bosch, Room 56
'The Three Graces' by Peter Paul Rubens, Room 9
'Self Portrait' by Albrecht Dürer, Room 55b
'Artemis' by Rembrandt, Room A
'Offering by Orestes and Pylades (San Ildefonso Group)'. Anonymous, Room 71

The first 14 of these masterpieces may be seen in ultra high resolution (14,000 million pixels) in Google Earth, allowing you to study every minutiae normally invisible to the naked eye. You have to open Google Earth, select the 3D layer on the left panel, and type "Museo del Prado" in the "Fly to" box, to see these masterful works of art in all their glorious detail. These works are also viewable in Google maps, following this link.

However, as the Prado's director Miguel Zugaza says, "This shows you the body of the painting, but what you won't find here is the soul. You can only find that by looking at the original."

The Prado is worthy of repeat visits, but if you are able to only visit it once, these are the major works you should not miss. Devote most of your remaining time to admiring the Spanish works of the 17th century.

For a break or light meal, the museum offers a cafeteria. The museum shop is also worthy of a stop, as is acquiring an "Art Walk" ticket ("El Paseo del Arte") that also allows entrance to the Thyssen Bornemisza and Reina Sofia museums. Although perhaps an even better option is to purchase the Madrid card (see link below under "Entrance fees"), since this also gives you entrance to dozens of other museums and sights, and allows you to avoid the sometimes extremely long queues here at the Prado.

Opening hours of the Prado Museum:
- Tuesdays to Sundays and on Public Holidays: 9am to 8pm
- 24th December, 31st December & 6th January: 9am to 2pm
- No entrance is allowed from 30 minutes before closing time.
- Visitors must leave all galleries 10 minutes before closing time.
- Museum closed on Mondays.

Entrance fees:
- Free entry: Tuesday to Saturday, from 6pm to 8 pm & Sundays from 5pm to 8 pm
- Free on 12th October, 19th November, 6th December, May 2nd & May 18th
- Free entry also for children under 18, pensioners, teachers, etc. Please check all conditions at the ticket office
- General entrance fee: 6 euros, purchased at the ticket office, located in the left wing of the building as you face the front.

You can get there via flight to Madrid.