Toledo, a gorgeous city on a hill surrounded by a river. Toledo, the place that treasures a part of the Spanish history. Toledo and Don Quixote, Toledo and its cathedral. Our new column about travel begins in the best way possible, with the former Spanish capital.
Why have we decided to write about this topic? First, because we have never talked about travels (or better, we have done it rarely) and we think it is worth for you to know something about other cities than Madrid. Second, because it is important to change perspective and there is no better way to do it than travelling. Last, because it is not an adventure if you spend the entire week or, worse, months, in your shared flat. To sum up, we want you to get the most out of your stay.
How to save enough money to be able to afford daily trips or weekends travels? helpMadrid has a suggestion (did you have doubts?). As the accommodation plays a central role on your budget, it may be great to spend less on rent and expenses. Therefore, a shared flat is a valuable solution to save money to get around Spain. So… Are you still looking for an accommodation? Shared flats only ahahah.
It is time to begin our city tour and to discover the Spanish former capital. We have divided our blog post into three sections. One dedicated to the transports necessary to reach the designated location. The second, the most important actually, is an itinerary to suggest you what to visit and to do. The third and last one is the tasty one, where we suggest you where and what to eat.
HOW TO REACH TOLEDO
First, how can we reach this beautiful city from Madrid? If you do not have your private car, either by bus or by train. Both solutions are cheap, the journey takes less than an hour and they are frequent: this means no need to plan everything, you just wake up whenever you want and you go to the bus or train station. Here a link of GoEuro so that you can compare schedules and prices.
ITINERARY
First stop of our city tour is the viewpoint right in front of the medieval city. You can reach this viewpoint by walk directly from the train station. After having enjoyed the breath-taking view, follow the street (do not go back to the starting point) and reach the city from another “Door”. It is not a very long walk and it will let you enjoy more views of the city. You can do all these things by bus, but it is not the same and some exercise will not kill you… we promise!
Where were we? In front of one of the doors to enter the city. Not a random one… On the other side of the bridge, an adventure is waiting for the brave ones: the zip line. Whether you decide to do it or not, our tour must go on!
Get lost in the streets and discover the small beautiful churches and cloisters treasured in this little town. Keep walking and enjoying the view till you reach the cathedral, the majestic and beautiful high gothic Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo. Discover its history, its portals, its façade and the chapels with an audio guided tour: it takes a little bit of time, but it is definitely worth.
After a break, let’s discover the medieval synagogues and the interesting Sephardi Museum. You will learn many new and interesting things about Jews and the Jewish community in Toledo. El Transito and Santa Maria la Blanca have to be in your itinerary! Before heading to the Alcazar, visit the Cristo de la Luz mosque in order to complete the “religious” tour: it will not take a lot of time and it is worth a visit.
As mentioned before, it is time to visit the Alcazar, the emblematic palace that you have seen, and probably pictured, during your initial walk. The former Roman palace hosts today the Castilla - La Mancha Regional Library and the Museum of the Army. Enjoy the view of the valley and get lost a second time in the beautiful town. Enjoy the atmosphere, discover secret corners and look for the statue of Miguel de Cervantes!
It is time to go back to Madrid… Cross the Tagus River, the Alcantara Bridge, look back one last time and reach the station.
TASTY SUGGESTIONS
helpMadrid suggests you to taste at least one of these dishes.
The Caldereta is a delicious dish made of lamb, garlic, onion, tomato, paprika, pimenton and oil, all cooked in a clay pot. Than we have the Carcamusas, beef or pork cooked with peas and tomato (this is amazingly tasty). Finally, some finger food: Picadillos. They are simply tiny pieces of pork, chopped and fried. Moreover, if you get a sweet tooth, do not miss to buy some marzipan and cookies in the convents. Last tip, have a beer in the Circulo de Arte, an old church turned into a pub.
Restaurants: Restaurante Casa Aurelio, Marcado San Agustin, La Mona Bar (tapas).
You are already looking for a train, right? This description do not honour this little town enough. Once you will be there, you will understand what we mean. Looking at the roofs from the other side of the river, walking in the majestic cathedral, tasting some delicious marzipan desserts bought in a convent…
There are so many things that you can do if you choose the right accommodation and the right location! That you should live in a shared flat, well, we all agree on that. The location is a different kettle of fish. By living in the city centre, you will have no trouble in catching a bus or a train to go to Toledo. We can extend this reasoning to daily life, in general. In order to choose your shared flat in the right district, have a look at our neighbourhood column: interesting information about some of the best areas to live in Madrid.
It is time to book our trip… Toledo, we are coming!