Madrid's identity as a "City of Museums" is anchored by its legendary **Golden Triangle of Art**, located along the Paseo del Prado (a UNESCO World Heritage landscape known as the Landscape of Light).
**The Golden Triangle:** * **Museo del Prado:** One of the world's premier art galleries, holding the finest collections of Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Titian, and Rubens. * **Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía:** Spain's national museum of 20th-century art, famously housing Pablo Picasso's monumental anti-war masterpiece, *Guernica*. * **Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum:** An extraordinary collection bridging the gaps between the Prado and Reina Sofía, featuring everything from early European painting to Impressionism and Pop Art.
**Other Cultural Venues:** * **Matadero Madrid:** A former slaughterhouse turned sprawling contemporary arts center. * **CaixaForum Madrid:** A stunning modern exhibition space known for its vertical garden. * **Performing Arts:** The Teatro Real is one of Europe's major opera houses, while the city's *tablaos* (like Corral de la Morería) are considered the pinnacle of live flamenco performance.