Toledo

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Overview

Toledo is truly one of Spain's most magnificent cities. Dramatically sited atop a gorge overlooking the Río Tajo, it was known as the ‘city of three cultures’ in the Middle Ages, a place where – legend has it – Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities peacefully coexisted. Unsurprisingly, rediscovering the vestiges of this unique cultural synthesis remains modern Toledo’s most compelling attraction. Horseshoe-arched mosques, Sephardic synagogues and one of Spain’s finest Gothic cathedrals cram into its dense historical core. But the layers go much deeper. Further sleuthing will reveal Visigothic and Roman roots. Toledo’s other forte is art, in particular the haunting canvases of El Greco, the influential, impossible-to-classify painter with whom the city is synonymous. Though it's justifiably popular with day trippers, try to stay overnight to really appreciate the city in all its haunting glory.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Catedral de Toledo

Toledo

Toledo's illustrious main church ranks among the top 10 cathedrals in Spain. An impressive example of medieval Gothic architecture, its enormous interior…

Sinagoga del Tránsito

Toledo

This magnificent synagogue was built in 1355 by special permission from Pedro I. The synagogue now houses the Museo Sefardí, which provides a glimpse into…

Monasterio San Juan de los Reyes

Toledo

This imposing 15th-century Franciscan monastery and church was provocatively founded in the heart of the Jewish quarter by the Catholic monarchs Isabel…

Museo de Santa Cruz

Toledo

It's hard to imagine that this 16th-century building was once a hospital. If only modern hospitals were equipped with the kind of ornate plateresque…

Plaza de Zocodover

Toledo

This lively square has long been the hub of town. From 1465 until the 1960s Zocodover was the scene of the city's Tuesday market and successor to the Arab…

Museo del Greco

Toledo

In the early 20th century, an aristocrat bought what he thought was El Greco's house and did a meritorious job of returning it to period style. He was…

Alcázar

Toledo

At the highest point in the city looms the foreboding Alcázar. Rebuilt under Franco, it has been reopened as a vast military museum. The usual displays of…

Museo de los Concilios y la Cultura Visigoda

Toledo

Sometimes dismissively called the ‘Invisigoths’ due to the scant record of their presence, the Visigoths inhabit a little-known chapter of Spanish history…

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