Other things to see and do
For those in the party who many not be shooting and do not want to join the field each day there are many things to do and see. Some of the finest and interests towns and cities are on the door step, begging to be explored.
The Prado Museum
Located in an 18th building designed by Juan de Villanueva, the Prado is considered one of the most important art galleries in the world. It houses masterpieces by Velázquez, Goya, El Greco, Zurbarán, Ribera, Titian, Raphael, Botticelli, Fra Angélico, Rubens, Bosch, Van der Weyden, Poussin, Lorrain, Watteau, Rembrandt, Dürer and Mengs, among others and if you have time is well worth exploring.
The Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens are right beside the Prado Museum. These gardens, which contain about 30,000 different species of trees and plants from all over the world, were founded by Charles III for the Faculty of Totany. The different sections are divided by magnificent avenues and each tree and plant is labeled with its Latin name and species.
The Royal Palace
The Royal Palace is no longer used as a residence, but it has been kept intact since it last functioned as home to the King, primarily serving as a tourist attraction. The entire palace is not open to the public, but most of the more important rooms can be visited. The palace is interesting in its own right, in particular its architecture and gardens (there are two, the Jardines del Moro and the Sabattini gardens). There are also some excellent frescos inside the palace by Tiépolo, and paintings by Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, El Greco, Juan de Flandes and Caravaggio, among others.
Toledo
Toledo is one of the Spanish cities with the greatest wealth of monuments. Known as the “city of the three cultures” because Christians, Arabs and Jews lived together there for centuries. Behind its walls Toledo preserves an artistic and cultural legacy in the form of churches, palaces, fortresses, mosques and synagogues. This great diversity of artistic styles makes the old quarter of the capital, La Mancha a real open-air museum, which has led to it being declared a World Heritage Site.
Museo de Santa Cruz
The outstanding features of this 16th-century building are its Plateresque façade and its courtyard and staircase, the work of Covarrubias, and its Mudéjar and Renaissance coffered ceilings. The museum's collection is divided into three sections: Archaeology, devoted to the Roman, Visigothic, Moorish and Mudéjar cultures; Fine Arts, with an excellent selection of 16th- and 17th-century paintings from Toledo, and works by such artists as El Greco; and Industrial Arts, with examples of popular culture and traditional local crafts (ceramics, glass, fabrics, wrought iron and precious metalwork).
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Toledo
An exhibition of 20th-century works of art in beautiful 16th-century surroundings. The museum has paintings, sculpture, drawings and engravings by various 20th-century artists such as Antonio López, Aureliano de Beruete, Alberto Sánchez and Benjamín Palencia, with pieces that go from landscapes to Surrealist art. It is located in the Casa de las Cadenas, one of the most noteworthy buildings in the old Jewish quarter.
