I absolutely recommend a day trip to Toledo if you’re coming from Madrid. It’s so close and it has so much to offer. If you are a student, please look into getting a student transport card in Madrid, it also works for regional bus trips! But if you don’t have a student pass, the bus is only 5 Euro each way and a very pleasant drive. Bus picks up at Plaza Eliptica and takes about an hour. You can also take a train for 15 Euro each way and it only takes a half hour.
Usually when I do these city guide posts I include some things I consider “overrated,” but its such a small city that if you’re only spending one day it’s easy to fill it up without having time to go anywhere that’s not really worth the time. Nothing is really overrated.
Must Sees in Toledo:
- Take a walk! Toledo is built on a hill, and there are beautiful views everywhere you look. The streets are tiny and winding and its very fun to get lost without really being lost. If you have an eye for it, pay attention to the differences between Christian, Islamic, and Jewish influences in the architecture. There are also lots of cute and interesting shops sprinkled through the city.
- The Cathedral- It costs a few Euro to get in and a few more for an audio guide, but its well worth the money and time spent to really enjoy every inch of the most incredible cathedral in the world.
- La Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz, the Mosque of the Light of Christ- It is a tiny little Christian church inside of a converted mosque built in the year 999. Really unique and well worth a visit just to appreciate the mix of cultures in the city.
- The Synagogue of Santa MarÃa La Blanca – it is considered to be one of the oldest synagogues in Europe. (It is currently only being used as a museum though, even though the Jewish community has asked for it to be returned to them.) The really significant part about this synagogue is that it was built while the city was under Christian control, by Islamic Architects, intended for Jewish use; all three in one!
- El Greco Museum – I have to admit I actually didn’t go myself, but Lucas went when he stayed in Toledo for 2 weeks and he absolutely recommends it. It’s built in a recreation of his house and has the largest collection of his paintings. In Lucas’s own words “that man knew how to use blues like no one else can.”
Off the Beaten Path
(I have to admit again, I didn’t get a chance to see these for myself, and I’m only going off of recommendations, but these mark all of my boxes, of interesting, unique, and quick visits.)
- Roman Circus – In a park right outside the city walls, there are the ruins of a Roman circus, and over 75% of it is preserved!
- Caves of Hercules – Its really just an ingenious Roman era water tank, but the history and legends surrounding it make it special. My favorite is that Hercules built a palace here to practice necromancy!
I also enjoyed the zipline over the beautiful river at sunset, but it’s not really a must see since it’s a pretty small zipline and that’s something you can do anywhere in the world, and it’s not really off the beaten path, since there are advertisements for it plastered all over the city.
Finding Eden 