The Prado is essential viewing—but not just any viewing will do. We propose a very special visit, savoring the museum’s best and most fascinating works. Rather than rushed, our visit will be relaxed but thorough, and so enriching that you never forget that you saw that painting at the Prado. Accompanied by guides with a unique and thoughtful understanding of the museum, we will enjoy the artwork and everything else that a visit to a place of such history and beauty entails.

Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza’s collection, which is one of the world’s most prestigious, has been joined by that of his wife, Baroness Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza. Both collections can be visited at the Palacio de Villahermosa, one of Madrid’s most magnificent old palaces, which was restored by the architect Rafael Moneo and opened to the public in 1992.

The Thyssen – as people from Madrid often call it – also plays host to temporary expositions that leave us no choice but to wander through its rooms again and again, as if attending a never-ending art history lesson.

Created at the behest of Clotilde García, Sorolla’s widow, the home where the artist spent the last few years of his life opened its doors as a museum in 1932. Sorolla himself was responsible for its design: a large number of spacious, well-lit rooms, surrounded by a lush and cheerful Andalusian-style patio, reflecting all of the tradition of the gardens of Sevilla and Granada.

In addition to his own paintings, Sorolla’s private collection is also on display at the museum, including sculptures by Benlliure, Rodin and Bloy and pictorial works of art by José de Ribera, Mariano Fortuny and John Singer Sargent.

The most rule-breaking masterpieces comprise the core of the exposition, which features works from leading international artists. Cubism, Surrealism, Dadaism, Expressionism… splendid examples of the historical avant-garde hang alongside works by the most contemporary artists on today’s art scene.

A relentless traveler, he collected the complete and marvelous trove of all different types of artwork that one can visit at the palace that he had built at the beginning of the twentieth century. From paintings by Bosch, El Greco, Velázquez, Goya and Murillo, to archeology, furniture, numismatics and ivory. This is a compulsive collection that calls out for order.

Zurbarán, El Greco, Alonso Cano, Bronzino and Tintoretto are only some of the great masters whose works comprise the collection of this insatiable traveler and passionate archeologist.

A visit to the Picasso Museum, which spans five large medieval mansions in the Gothic Quarter, and the Miró Foundation, created by the great rationalist architect Josep Lluís Sert in the middle of Montjuïc, should spark plenty of conversation about art, architecture, urban planning and commitment to the city.

Máximo Díaz de Quijano, a Spanish-American who made his fortune in America, commissioned Gaudí to build a small villa beside the Sobrellano Palace, home of the Marquis of Comillas, in 1883. The summer home, which was originally called Villa Quijano, later became known as El Capricho (a caprice or whim), an authentic fantasy construction whose colors and fern-like shapes mimic its surroundings.

El Capricho was conceived as a leisure villa, and its imaginative oriental and medieval features reflect the influence of Neo-Mudéjar art.

Díaz de Quijano’s passions, such as exotic plants and music, are visible in the architecturally rich adornments decorating the small palace. The stained glass windows depict images of animals, insects and musical instruments, including fireflies, guitars and a sparrow perched on top of an organ.

Barcelona has a vibrant contemporary art scene, with an outstanding selection of galleries, art fairs and prestigious museums and art centers, such as the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, CaixaForum, the Joan Miró Foundation and the Tàpies Foundation. Visiting them in the company of professionals from the sector is an absolute privilege: we propose a route including those museums that best adapt to the traveler’s interests, a personalized tour of the city’s galleries, or meetings with artists.

A planned route through the most beautiful gardens in traditional pazos in the region of Pontevedra will highlight the natural elements brought from far-away worlds, a testament to Galician people’s emigrant spirit and their comings and goings. The visit combines the delicacy of cultivated nature and the soundness of stone in such noble architecture, and we’ll finish with a private dinner at one of the pazos, served by a Michelin-star restaurant.

Romanesque masterpieces were rescued, such as Christ in Majesty, from the Church of St. Clement of Tahull, and transferred to the MNAC in 1920, where they have been ever since. This museum is not-to-be-missed: in addition to the magnificent collection of European medieval art, it is located in the National Palace in Montjuïc, which offers incredible views of the entire city.

Cristóbal Balenciaga is, for many, the true father of haute couture. His museum boasts more than 1,200 pieces, many of which were provided by his disciple, Hubert de Givenchy. The museum is located in his hometown, the fishing village of Getaria; which, according to the New York Times, is one of the world’s must-visit places.

We invite you to visit the museum accompanied by a well-known textile designer. Together we will admire the collections of volumes and asymmetries created by Balenciaga that first stirred enthusiasm among the upper middle-class and Spanish aristocracy and, later, in the glamorous world of design.

The famous restaurants in the port provide the perfect place to finish off the morning!