El Prado is a must for every Madrid visit. One of the most visited sites in the world and considered as one of the greatest art museums in the world. With 8,600 paintings and over 700 sculptures it has one of the world’s finest collection of European Art from the 12th to the 20th century. The highlights are works by Spanish painters Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Goya and El Greco.The Spanish queen at the time had been impressed with the Louvre in Paris and opened in 1819 the museum in the 18th-century Neo-Classical building.Today, it is part of the ‘Golden Triangle of Art’ with the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum.