Toledo walking tour & city guide

The old town

Toledo's streets are a tangle of steep, winding lanes that seem designed to get lost in. At the center rises the Cathedral of Toledo, one of the greatest Gothic cathedrals in Spain, with a lavish altarpiece, a sacristy filled with paintings by El Greco and the Transparente, a dramatic Baroque work lit through a hole in the ceiling.

The Alcázar, a massive square fortress on the highest point of the city, now houses the Army Museum. Plaza de Zocodover, the main square, has been the city's meeting point for centuries.

Three cultures

The Jewish quarter preserves two remarkable synagogues: Santa María la Blanca, with white horseshoe arches, and the Synagogue of El Tránsito, with intricate Mudéjar plasterwork, now a Sephardic museum. The small Mosque of Cristo de la Luz dates from the year 999.

The painter El Greco lived in Toledo for decades, and his masterpiece 'The Burial of the Count of Orgaz' hangs in the church of Santo Tomé.

Views and tips

For the best view of Toledo, cross the river to the Mirador del Valle, especially at sunset when the city glows gold. Toledo is famous for its marzipan and its swords, crafted here since Roman times. It is just 33 minutes from Madrid by high-speed train, making it a perfect day trip.