The Prado area of Madrid is famous the world over for being the home of the El Prado Museum - the largest art gallery in the world and one of the finest collections of European art found anywhere. The most popular tourist destination in Spain, the Prado is busy every hour of every day it is open, but you should certainly allocate a good few hours to pay it a visit.
Beyond, and besides, the El Prado Museum, Prado is notable for its pleasant leafy avenues, pretty streets and excellent transport links to much of the city. There are plenty of additional attractions close by, including Madrid's two other famous museums - the Thyssen and Reina Sofia - and the beautiful Retiro Park, which is an idyllic green haven in the centre of one of Europe's busiest (and certainly its noisiest) cities.
The Paseo del Prado is the main thoroughfare through the area and is also home to the main commercial hub and a good number of hotels, with four and five-stars featuring heavily thanks to Prado's reputation as one of Madrid's classier, more upmarket districts. Excellent shopping and fine dining come as standard in most establishments that are lucky enough to line the Paseo del Prado.
