Toledo

Toledo fascinates inside and out. From the Valle viewpoint on the road, you can see an impressive view of Toledo. Its skyline is dominated by the silhouettes of the Alcázar, the cathedral, and the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, among others. All of this is surrounded by the river Tagus, which was precisely the reason why the Carpetans, and later the Romans, settled in that hill: the location is strategically perfect. It is also possible to view Toledo from the castle of San Servando, where you can spend the night.

Toledo has two bridges that provide access to its historic centre: the Alcántara bridge, of Roman origin, and the San Martín bridge. In front of the Alcántara bridge is one of the four city gates, named after the bridge. The other three entrance gates to Toledo are the New Bisagra gate, the Old Bisagra gate, and the Sun gate.

The Alcázar of Toledo stands on what was originally a Roman structure. Today, the building houses the Army Museum.

The Zocodover square is the nerve centre of the city. Throughout history, it has had other names such as «Pozo Square» or «Zocadeña Square». Tuesdays are an excellent day to visit because a market that is 550 years old is set up there.

Toledo was an example of peaceful coexistence for many years among Arabs, Christians, and Jews. For this reason, Toledo is known as The city of three cultures. From that era, the city preserves various places such as the mosque of Cristo de la Luz, the best example of Muslim architecture in Toledo. Its beauty also stems from its Romanesque-Mudejar apse.  

The Mudejar churches of Toledo are Santiago del Arrabal and Santo Tomé. The first is the largest of this style in all of Castilla-La Mancha, and the second, the church of Santo Tomé, is the home of the painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, by El Greco. Doménikos Theotokópoulos, El Greco's real name, was always connected to Toledo. There he developed and left most of his work. Many of his paintings can be observed in the House-Museum that Toledo dedicated to its most illustrious resident. Also, at the Hospital of Tavera, you can admire works by El Greco and other painters like Francisco de Zurbarán.

From Jewish culture, Toledo retains places such as the synagogue of Tránsito, home of the Sephardic Museum, and Santa María La Blanca, whose elaborate interior makes it one of the most beautiful buildings in Toledo.

The Cathedral of Spain is the culmination of Spanish Gothic. It was erected on an old mosque, but its origins are Visigothic. The most striking feature of the temple is the gorgeous choir stalls. Another Gothic building in Toledo is the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes. Commissioned by the Catholic Monarchs to Juan Guas, it is a place that leaves no one indifferent who visits Toledo and comes to know it. The beautiful cloister of the monastery is the work of master Enrique Egas.

One of the best times to visit Toledo is during the Corpus Christi festival, of International Tourist Interest. During those days, you can take advantage of tasting dishes from the La Mancha cuisine in Toledo, in addition to the delicious Toledo marzipan.