Toledo: a day trip from Madrid

About Toledo

Toledo stands on a rocky hill almost encircled by the Tagus river. It was the capital of the Visigoths, then a great centre of Moorish Spain and later a seat of the Castilian kings. For centuries Christians, Muslims and Jews lived side by side here, which is why it's known as the city of three cultures.

In 1986 the whole historic centre was added to the UNESCO list. The streets are narrow, steep and tangled, with a church, convent, synagogue or old palace on almost every corner. The town is small enough to see the highlights on foot in a day, but it's worth staying into the evening, when the tour groups leave.

The main sights

The cathedral is one of Spain's greatest Gothic churches, built from the 13th to the 15th century. Inside are a vast gilded wooden altarpiece, carved choir stalls, a sacristy hung with El Greco, Goya and Titian, and the famous Transparente, a Baroque altar lit by sunlight through an opening in the vault.

The Jewish quarter keeps two old synagogues: Santa María la Blanca, with white horseshoe arches, and the Synagogue of El Tránsito, with a carved wooden ceiling. Nearby are the monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, with an exquisite Gothic cloister, and the El Greco Museum, while the little church of Santo Tomé holds the artist's most famous painting.

What to see in Toledo

• The cathedral — Gothic grandeur, the altarpiece and El Greco.
• Santa María la Blanca — white horseshoe arches.
• San Juan de los Reyes — a Gothic monastery and cloister.
• El Greco Museum — the artist's house and paintings.
• San Martín Bridge — a medieval bridge over the Tagus.
• Mirador del Valle — the classic panorama of the town.

The view and a walk

The most famous view of Toledo is from the Mirador del Valle, a viewpoint across the Tagus taking in the whole town on its hill, the cathedral, the Alcázar and the bridges. A tourist train and a city bus go there, or you can walk the riverside path in about 40 minutes.

In town, it's easy to walk from Plaza de Zocodover through the lanes to the cathedral, then into the Jewish quarter and down to San Martín Bridge. Stop at the pastry shops along the way: Toledo is famous for marzipan, made to old convent recipes. Outdoor escalators help with the climb from the station side.

Tips for your trip

Book train tickets ahead, especially at weekends, as trains fill up. Leave in the morning to reach the cathedral before the groups, and wear comfortable shoes, as the streets are steep and cobbled. Summer is hotter here than in Madrid, so bring water and a hat.

For lunch, try restaurants near the cathedral or in the Jewish quarter's lanes, with local game, Manchego cheese and stewed partridge. If you can, stay into the evening: once the groups have gone the town falls quiet, and the floodlit cathedral and walls are at their best.

Toledo works well with children too: the tourist train, the walls, the bridges and marzipan sweets. On a week in Spain, it's one of the easiest trips from the capital.

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How to do it right

• The Avant train takes 33 minutes.
• The wristband pass saves money.
• Comfortable shoes for steep streets.
• The view from the Mirador del Valle.

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