The National Prado Museum is one of the most famous artistic centres in the capital city of Spain, and quite well-known in the world. It is definitely a must in your visit to Madrid as its works and all the History that holds are part of general knowledge and culture. Right in the Paseo del Prado, this elegant building comes into sight of the people walking along the way. Just 37 kilometres away from Parador de Alcalá de Henares or 45 from Parador de Chinchón in Madrid, the Prado Museum emerges.

But, what do you know about this important Art Centre? Paradores wants to tell you what the Prado Museum hides: 12 curiosities you were not told yet and that will make you want to visit it as soon as possible. Here they are:

1. The Prado Museum is not just about paintings. It collects almost 8.000 paintings, yes, but it also gathers around 3.000 engravings and 2.800 decorative art pieces and more than 6.5000 drawings.
2. The name of the Museum has a story. Prado means lawn, and it is true that the place where it is settled was a lawn, Jerónimos' lawn but no-one called it like that in the beginning, when people referred to it as the Royal Museum. It was from 1920 on when people started to call it as we know now.
3. The surface of the museum occupies 42.000 m2
4. It was the first Royal Museum, properly said. After the Revolution of 1868, it got the title of National Museum.
5. In 1936, the well-known Spanish artist Pablo Picasso was named director of the museum. He never worked on the position of director, but he accepted the designation.
6. Also referring to Pablo Picasso, his most emblematic masterpiece, the Guernica, was shown in the Prado Museum for its first time in Spain. Now, this work is shown in the Reina Sofía National Museum, also in Madrid.
7. Some of the most distinguishing masterpieces you can find at the Prado Museum are the work by Akbretcht Dürer Adam und Eva; Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights; Diego de Velázquez's Meninas or Carvaggio's David and Goliath.
8. The Lady of Elche stone bust actually belongs to the Prado Museum. However, it is not exposed there, but in the National Archaeological Museum. 
9. There is a copy of Leonardo Da Vinci's famous Gioconda exposed in the museum. It is considered a mysterious copied work of the worldwide known masterpiece.
10. The designation of the largest artistic work of the museum is Bartholomäus Strobel painting Beheading of St. John the Baptist. Its measures are 280 centimetres tall x 952 centimetres wide.
11. As many of them, the Prado Museum has been a victim of a stealing attempt. The event was quite grotesque and curious. In 1961, when the thief wanted to enter the museum from its ceiling, he fell down to the ground and died.
12. The museum opens everyday now, from Monday to Sunday. Nevertheless, during its first years of activity, the Prado Museum was closed during rainy days so as to avoid the possible waste of the building and works.

Did you expect all this information? Did you already know about any of them? Come and visit this full of interesting stories museum that exposes some of the best Art works in the world: The Prado Museum.

Opening hours:

• From Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 20:00
• Sundays and Days-off, from 10:00 to 19:00

The ticket should be bought half an hour before the closing time. The prices for the Prado Museum are:

• General entrance ticket: 14€
• General entrance ticket + Prado Museum Guide: 23€
• "Two visits in a year" entrance: 20€
• Reduced price for people over 65, large families and young people with youth card: 7€

Free entrance is available for:

• Students between 18 and 25 years old
• Underage people
• From Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 20:00 and Sundays and Days-off from 17:00 to 19:00
• On the 19^th of November, the Anniversary of the Prado Museum
• On the 18^th of May, International Day of the Museums

The prices can vary depending on the Museum changes. You can check them here, as well as the differences on the prices rates and conditions and the days the museum is closed.

How to get from Parador de Alcalá de Henares to the Prado Museum:

• By car: Taking A-2 road or M-45 road will let you there in half an hour.
• By public transport: Taking Cercanías C-2/C-7 line to Chamartín for 7 stops. Go down in Vallecas stop and change to metro line 1 to Pinar de Chamartín. Get off after 10 stops, in Atocha train station and walk for 600 metres.

Book now at Parador de Alcalá de Henares

How to get from Parador de Chinchón to the Prado Museum:

• By car: Taking M-311 and A-3 for 45 kilometres will let you there in just a bit more than half an hour.
• By public transport: You will need to take a taxi to Ciempozuelos train station. There you can tale the C-3 train line to Atocha and get off there so as to then walk to the Prado Museum.

Book now at Parador de Chinchón