Imperial City of three cultures
TOLEDO
BARCELONA, EL PARÍS DEL SIGLO XVIII
WHERE TO EAT
OPTIONAL EXCURSION: CONSUEGRA
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Puerta Nueva de Bisagra
Toledo is a wonderful city to see by foot. That is why we recommend you to wear comfortable shoes and go around the interior wall, in order to arrive at San Martín’s Bridge, declared national monument. Nearby is the impressive San Juan de los Reyes Monastery, whose cloister is considered as a masterpiece of the Gothic. It is the most important structure made by the Catholic Monarchs and is well worth paying the 2,50 Euros the ticket costs.
San Juan se los Reyes Monastery and San Martín's Bridge
If you are interested in museums, in the same street there is the Santa María la Blanca Synagogue, which actually works as a museum (ticket: 2,50 Euros). Going a little bit further you will be able to visit the Greco Museum, with paintings by Luis Tristán or Murillo, among others. However, we recommend you to save time and go straight to Santo Tomé’s Church, known by housing the Greco’s painting The Burial of the Count of Orgaz and crowned by a magnificent Mudejar tower.
'The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, by El Greco
In the Town Hall Square you will not know where to look. On the one hand there is the Archbishop’s Palace, whose Mudejar past style is hardly appreciable. On the other hand, the Town Hall, that will remind you the Italian classicism. And finally in this square is one of the highlights of the Imperial City, the Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo. It is a Gothic building with a tower of 90 meters high. The north gate reminds Paris’ Notre Dame, but nowadays the tourists come in through the door used in the past by the sculptors. Particularly noteworthy are the gold and the opulence of the Corpus Christi and the large number of works of artists such as Caravaggio, Titian, Goya, Rubens or Van Dyck, which is perfectly comparable to any prestigious art gallery. The price of the tickets is a bit higher, 8 Euros, but we recommend you to save money wherever is possible, because going to Toledo and not visiting its Cathedral is almost a sin.
Tower of Toledo's Cathedral
Just behind it, you will come across another jewel of Toledo, the Alcázar. As an ancient Roman fortification, it is located on the top of the hill. After many reconstructions and several uses, its latest alteration dates from 1961 and the Military Museum is inside. Te ticket is 5 Euros, but if you are able to, you should go on Sunday, because the entrance is free.
Panomamic view of the Alcázar
At this point, if your feet are tired, you can just relax in Zocodover Square, the perfect place to have tome drinks while you imagine the kind of activities that were done in this place a long time ago: executions during the Inquisition, bullfighting, buying and selling wild animals in the Muslim period, etc. You can also taste Toledo’s gastronomy. We beg you not to leave Toledo without trying one of its specialties: the cochifrito (pig with egg, saffron, tomato and white wine) and the Manchegan pisto (a kind of ratatouille with pumpkin, tomato, pepper and onion), with some Toledo’s candies. Moreover, if you want to be a bit original and buy something else apart from the typical T-shirts and magnets, Toledo’s commercial area offers many possibilities. There are swords and knives shops (but take into account the airport security), damascene work, marzipans and mantecados (traditional candy made mainly from lard), ceramics of Talavera de la Reina or Castila-La Mancha’s wines.
Plaza de Zocodover
Before leaving Toledo, we recommend you to have a look at the Santa Cruz Hospital and cross the Alcántara Bridge. However, if you cannot walk any more, you can always use the Recaredo escalator, next to the Santo Domingo Convent, which will take you out of this back in time.
Windmills and Castle of Consuegra
If you have time on your hands, we recommend you to make an optional excursion to one of those towns that look like taken out of Don Quixote’s pages: Consuegra, located about 40 minutes from Toledo. From a distance you will see its 12 windmills, each of whom has a different name. From the hill of the Castle of Consuegra, you will be able to take the perfect picture of the particular ‘giants’ that Don Quixote tilted at.
JOAN SERRA MINGOT
“In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen that keep a lance in the lance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and a greyhound for coursing”. This is the beginning of one of the most important works of universal literature, Don Quixote of La Mancha. Its writer, Miguel de Cervantes, did not make clear where the crazy adventures of the knight errant and his loyal squire Sancho Panza started. But we like to think that their eventful journey began in an almost magical city, with a great many years of history and located in the west of Castilla-La Mancha, Toledo.
On the banks of the river Tagus, Toledo is regarded as the 'Imperial City' of Spain par excellence, declared Word Heritage in 1986. Just having a look at the entrance of the old quarter, you will guess why. The Puerta Nueva de Bisagra (New Bisagra Gate) will welcome you to this walled city, which still preserves the essence of the three cultures that inhabited the land centuries ago: the Christians, the Jewish and the Muslims. This gate has Muslim origins, but was remodeled by Charles V and leads to the Puerta del Sol (Sun's Gate), a Mudejar structure which shows the transition from Muslim to Christian architecture.
HOW TO GET THERE
Toledo is 70kilometers from Madrid. If you are hosted in the Spanish capital, these are the options you have to make an excursion to the Imperial City.
BY CAR
Highway A-42 with direction to Getafe, Toledo, R-5 and Badajoz. In 65km take the exit 68B towards Toledo/Centro Urbano.
BY BUS
Alsa buses(floor -3 in Plaza Elíptica's Intercambiador). Direct service:50 min. With connection: 1 hour 20 min.
TOLEDO IN NUMBERS
Population: 83.593
Density: 360,16/km2
Surface: 232,1km2