Between contemporary art, archaeology and the architecture of the future, Santander is preparing for a cultural renaissance that will place Cantabria on the map of the great art destinations.
The city of Santander has always been intrinsically linked with beauty: the sea, the light and the landscape have inspired artists and travellers for centuries. Today, the city and its surroundings are experiencing a true cultural transformation, establishing Cantabria as one of the most promising artistic hubs in northern Spain. 2026 will see the opening of several spaces of great heritage and symbolic value, all key to driving forward the region’s new cultural momentum.
Reina Sofía Museum branch in Santander
In the historic building of the former Bank of Spain, the first associated centre of the Reina Sofía Museum outside Madrid will open, also housing the museum’s first visitable storage facility in Spain. This project, in collaboration with the Santander City Council, will offer a new way of approaching contemporary art and museum processes, opening its collections to the public and connecting the city with international art networks.
An ideal visit for those who enjoy discovering how the art of our time is preserved, researched and exhibited.
FARO Santander
The iconic Pereda building, formerly the headquarters of Banco Santander, is reborn as FARO Santander, a centre dedicated to art, technology and innovation with an educational, environmental and social vocation. This project by Fundación Banco Santander will transform one of the city’s architectural symbols into a living and participatory space designed to inspire new forms of creativity and thought. Recommended for curious minds interested in the relationship between art, science and sustainability.
New MUPAC headquarters
The Museum of Prehistory and Archaeology of Cantabria (MUPAC) will inaugurate an emblematic building in the heart of the city centre, setting a national benchmark in archaeological heritage. The new space will allow visitors to enjoy more than 2,600 pieces that tell the story of Cantabria from Prehistory to the Middle Ages, with a modern and interactive museum design. An unmissable museum for families, school groups and travellers seeking to understand the origin of our history through art and archaeology.
La Lechera – Torrelavega
A few kilometres from the capital, the La Lechera project in Torrelavega is progressing to transform an old industrial complex from the late 19th century into a large artistic, cultural and exhibition space. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) in 2020, it will be one of the most important heritage recovery projects in northern Spain and will establish the connection between Santander and Torrelavega around contemporary culture. If you value the fusion between industrial heritage, contemporary creation and territory, this is the place for you.
Urban art and architecture in Santander
Beyond the museums, Santander is also an open-air gallery. Sculptures, murals and works incorporated into the landscape accompany visitors as they stroll through the city. The Centro Botín, designed by Renzo Piano, rises over the bay like a work of art in itself, in dialogue with the sea and the Pereda gardens. The seafront promenades, the Palacio de Festivales or the Puente de los Raqueros complete a route where art merges with the Atlantic horizon.
With this new generation of spaces — from the Reina Sofía to FARO Santander, passing through MUPAC and La Lechera — Cantabria positions itself as a region in full cultural bloom, where art is seen as an experience shared between landscape, heritage and future.
On this new Atlantic horizon, Santander and Cantabria invite you to let yourself be carried away: to walk between history and avant-garde, to listen to the murmur of the sea mixed with the echo of art. A destination where culture is not only visited, but inhaled.
