The Valencian kitchen
A complete 18th-century room covered in hand-painted tiles, taken apart in a house in Valencia and rebuilt here tile by tile.
Luis García (Zaqarbal) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jotadjota — CC BY 4.0 · Krzysztof Popławski — CC BY 4.0 · Sailko — CC BY 3.0
Honestly, no. On a first three or four day trip the Prado, Thyssen, Reina Sofia and Royal Palace clearly come first. It earns your time if you are interested in furniture, ceramics and interiors, or if this is a repeat visit to Madrid and you want something quieter.
The nearest Metro is Banco de España on line 2, about a five-minute walk; Retiro station on the same line is also close. The museum sits on Calle de Montalbán, a five-minute walk north of the Prado and next door to the Naval Museum. One hour covers a quick pass, two if you want to work through all five floors.
The fee is small, around 3 euros, and this is one of the state museums with free-entry windows: Thursday evening (not in July or August), Saturday from 14:00, all day Sunday, plus four fixed free days a year. You do not normally need to book ahead. Check the prices and the free slots on the official site before you go, as they change.
Sign in to write your review of this place.
No reviews yet — be the first.
The museum occupies a mansion built in 1878 as a summer residence for the Duchess of Santoña, on a quiet street between Paseo del Prado and Retiro Park. The emphasis is not on paintings but on furniture, ceramics, glass and textiles spread over five floors, some arranged into complete rooms reassembled as they once were. It is a museum about how people lived, not art on walls. Its best-known piece is an 18th-century Valencian kitchen, entirely faced in hand-painted tiles, moved here from a house in Valencia and rebuilt tile by tile - the part most visitors remember. Be honest about priorities: on a first three-day visit the Prado, Thyssen and Royal Palace come first. This one suits a second trip, or anyone who finds large painting galleries tiring. Practically: entry is cheap and the museum fairly small, but it closes at 3pm and is shut on Mondays, so plan it for the morning. The nearest Metro is Banco de España; the museum is a five-minute walk north of the Prado, next door to the Naval Museum. Dining is thin on Montalbán itself - walk towards Huertas or Alcalá for choice.
A complete 18th-century room covered in hand-painted tiles, taken apart in a house in Valencia and rebuilt here tile by tile.
Instead of furniture and ceramics in glass cases, much of it is arranged into living spaces the way it was actually used.
It is rarely crowded and an hour or two covers it, which makes it an easy add-on after the Prado or before a walk in Retiro.
Calle de Montalbán 12, 28014 Madrid