Toledo is the capital of the province of Toledo in the Castilla La Mancha region of Spain. It is considered to be one of the 'Most Beautiful Cities in Spain'. Toledo was the home of El Greco from 1577 until his death in 1614 and many of his works can be seen in the city.

Explore Toledo

Spain This Way Comment: Toledo is a fabulous city and is great to visit as a city break in its own right or as part of a trip to Madrid.

Toledo is built on a hill with its Alcazar, or fortress, at the top. The Tagus river encircles three sides of the city. Toledo is one of the most splendid cities of Spain and the whole city has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the number of historic sights packed into the city.

In the 13th century Christians, Moors and Jews lived together in the city of Toledo and churches, mosques and synagogues and other buildings from this era give Toledo its unusual and beautiful combinations of architectural styles.

To see Toledo you need to stay at least one night and this gives you the benefit of seeing the city with its night time illuminations which are a splendid sight.

The Cathedral of Toledo is one of the largest in Europe and took 3 centuries to build. It is a mix of Gothic and other styles on the outside and contains interesting Mudejar and Plateresque details inside. Its cloister is two stories high and its altar is splendid.

Inside the cathedral there are works by El Greco, Titian and Van Dyck.

The cathedral has had an interesting history. It was built in the 1st century by the Bishop of Toledo, it was then captured by the Moors and turned into a Mosque. Alfonso VI changed it back to a church but it was destroyed in the 13th century and rebuilt as seen today.

The cathedral sits in a central position in the city and a few streets to the east of here is the Alcazar.

The Alcazar sits perched above the city and gives Toledo its famous skyline. There has been a fortress since Roman times but it has been built and destroyed many times.

The current Alcazar was built after the Spanish Civil War by Franco's regime as a monument to the Nationalists who defended the Alcazar from a Republican siege of two months during the war.

There is an Army Museum in the Alcazar and you get some excellent views of the city.

Next to the Alcazar is the Plaza Zocodover which is a popular meeting point for both locals and tourists. Around the edge are a number of bars and restaurants though we found these to be very tourist focused.

From here visit the Museum of Santa Cruz, housed in a 16th century hospital, has some excellent Renaissance features. Works in the museum include 'the Assumption' painted by El Greco.

Next head west to the Monastery of Santa Clara la Real which was formed from two mudejar palaces and has a church, a cloister and a collection of sculptures, paintings and ceramics to see.

Near to here is another important building connected to El Greco is the Cistercian monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos. El Greco painted alter pieces and paintings for the church and ultimately was buried here.

There are still monks living in the monastery and you can buy home-made sweets and cakes from them.

More works by El Greco can be seen in the nearby Casa-Museo de El Greco including his Christ and the Apostles series.

Next to here the Iglesia de Santo Tome, the Saint Tome church, is home to El Greco's famous 'The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. This church also has a wonderful Mudejar tower.

The El Greco museum and the Saint Tome church are both in the attractive Jewish Quarter of Toledo.

Here you will find two synagogues which both have attractive Mudejar features.

The Synagogue of Santa Maria la Blanca has lovely white interior with horseshoe shaped arches and golden Renaissance apses.

In 1391 there was a massacre of Jews in the synagogue, bringing to an end the relatively peaceful co-habitation of the Jews, Christians and Moors.

The synagogue of Transito houses an excellent Mudejar interior - a mixture of Islamic, Hebrew and Gothic symbols decorate the frieze of the prayer hall.

Also on the edge of the Jewish Quarter is the church of San Juan de los Reyes which is an unusual sight as it is decorated by the chains of Christian prisoners from Grenada who were released during the Reconquest.

It has a lovely double storey cloister with a Mudejar ceiling.

The church of Saint Roman has an attractive interior and has been converted into the Museum of the Visigoth Councils and Culture.

Another key site is the Puerta de Bisagra which is a massive stone gateway and the main entrance to the old town.

As well as all its historic sights Toledo is famous for its Manchego cheese and its marzipan. It is also famous for its sword-making (now devoted to the tourist industry) and remains an important centre for making knives.

Due to its closeness to Madrid, Toledo is often packed with tourists so try and visit mid-week and out of season.

Be sure to take the little tourist 'train' around the outside of Toledo. This gives you the chance to admire the defensive walls surrounding Toledo and the monumental gates.

You also get stunning views over the whole city encircled by the Tajo river.

There is a lovely walk that goes around the outside of the city walls next to the river or you can take the path higher up to admire the amazing views over the town.

Where to visit near Toledo?

Guadamar castle lies to the South of Toledo and the town of Orgaz is worth a visit for its beautiful plaza and Baroque church.

Aranjuez with its wonderful summer palace and gardens is well worth a visit.

Fans of Don Quixote will be sure to want to visit the famous windmills of Consuegra.