Overview
** TOLEDO, SPAIN **
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Toledo is an ancient city in central Spain that is located about an hour from Madrid and can be explored within a day.
Getting from Madrid is fairly simple and there are a few options that you can take ; bus, train, organized tour. When we were in Madrid we opted to take the bus and do our own tour. The train takes roughly 35/40 minutes and will cost you about $26(US) per person return whilst the bus will take about 1/1.5h and will cost $13 per person for a return trip. The reason we opted for the bus was that it was easier to get to the bus station and the longer ride meant that we could relax and take in the Spanish countryside on the way.
Whilst there are several tours organized departing from either Madrid or surrounding areas, Toledo is a small enough city for you to navigate with the aid of Google maps and/or Google. If you would like to do a tour when you get there, there are tours departing from Zocodover square which are free – you are simply required to tip after the tour. This is a walking tour through the city which lasts about 1.5h. If you want a tour in English look for the yellow umbrella, whilst Spanish tours are designated by the orange umbrellas.
THINGS TO DO ;
1. SANTA IGLESIA CATEDRAL PRIMADA – an ancient gothic church with high ceilings and intricate details in the art work. There is free entrance on one side of the cathedral which allows you to view most of the features, but from a distance.
2. PLAZA DE ZOCODOVER- the ancient market place where all former trade was conducted. The square now has many cafes and restaurants and is a great place to grab a meal before you start your walking tour. Most tours depart from here.
3. MUSEO de SANTA CRUZ – to the left of the square is the first historical building. This building was once a hospital and was later converted into a museum in the 19th century.
4. ALCAZAR de TOLEDO – the famous military musuem of Toledo which overlooks the river. This was once a palace and sits on the highest place in all of Toledo. The viewpoint here is quite spectacular.
5. MONASTERIO DE SAN JUAN DE LOS REYES – a former monastery with beautiful archways and intricately designed ceilings. There is also a central garden adding to the ambiance of everything.
6. MOSQUE OF CRISTO DE LA LUZ – it’s not a very large mosque , but it was one of the few that existed back when the Moors ruled
Overall, Toledo is a city filled with much history and charm, If you are particularly fond of exploring ancient architecture and diving into cultural exhibitions then Toledo is a must see. The city is small enough to be discovered in a day so I would advise getting there by 9ish and you should have seen most of the sites by 5pm.
In comparison to Madrid things such as souvenirs are a bit cheaper. The food prices were fairly similar in Toledo as they were in Madrid, although, given that it is a small city , there isn’t that much choice.