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- The permanent collection in the Reina Sofía is almost exclusively made up of Spanish art from the 20th century, with works by many of the most important artists (Picasso, Miró, Oteiza, Julio González, Tapies, Equipo Crónica, Gerardo Rueda) but with a notable absence of many others. Also on permanent display are the Propuestas (Proposals) where work of international artists such as Barnet Newman, Soto, etc. can be found.
- The Museo del Prado, founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture, also has important collections of drawings (more than 5,000), prints (2,000), coins and medals (around 1,000), and almost 2,000 decorative objects and works of art. Sculpture is represented by more than 700 works and by a smaller number of sculptural fragments.
- With fewer visitors and a more casual feel than Retiro Park, Parque del Oeste is the ideal place to meander through the collection of birch, cedar, cypress and fir trees on summer evenings. First designed by landscape gardener Cecilio Rodríguez in the early 20th century, situated on what once had been a huge waste disposal site, during the Civil War the park sheltered Republicans from the invading Nationalist soldiers, resulting in the area being virtually ruined.
- The Plaza Mayor of Madrid was built on the orders of Philip II in the place of a market of Arab origin, outside the city walls, over the dried bed of an old lake; the King, who had just chosen Madrid to be his kingdom's capital, wished a monumental square where he could have fairs and shows for his illustrious visitors.
- Plaza de España is one of the main squares of Madrid, and it's the start of the famous Gran Vía, the central street of the modern city.
- Apart from being in the centre of some of the main streets of Madrid, it has some interesting buildings, like the Communications Palace.
- Although the Royal family do not reside here, the Palacio Real de Madrid (Royal Palace of Madrid) remains the official residence of the Spanish monarchy and is used for state occasions. The site of the palace dates from a 10th-century fortress, called mayrit, constructed as an outpost by Mohammed I, Emir of Córdoba and inherited after 1036 by the independent Moorish Kingdom of Toledo. After Madrid fell to Alfonso VI of Castile in 1085, the edifice was only rarely used by the kings of Castile. Philip II moved his court to Madrid in 1561.
- The Spanish Central Bank headquarters house a valuable art collection that includes works by Goya, Salvador Maella, Sorolla and Zuloaga as well as luxurious wall-hangings and antique furniture. The interior patio is used as a library and the beautiful staircase is made of Carrera marble. It occupies one of the best locations in Madrid, at a major crossroads linking Plaza de Cibeles with Calle Alcalá, Gran Vía and the Paseo del Prado. After opening in 1889, it had to be expanded in 1936 and then again in 1975. The three distinct façades display diverse architectural styles.
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