Our Favorite Cities - Toledo

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Well, that's why: everyone goes to Toledo, but the immense majority of people see only the big-name sights, and rarely
visit the "lesser" sights, which in Toledo are very good indeed. Due to lack of time, knowledge, sore feet or whatever, most people do the done thing and not much more.

If you want something specific, my suggestion would be to find something with neighborhood maps, showing location of monuments and if possible, a suggested route to see different things. Getting a decent map is important, given Toledo's winding streets and general lack of streetsigns. The tourist office gives away a map that is ok but not great - and one of the recent editions of their map had north at the bottom, very confusing if you are trying to use a compass or follow instructions in a book with the help of a map, or using two maps to be sure you get where you want to go.

If you can, get some information before your visit, at least a basic idea of what you really want to see, what you would like to see  and what you can miss. Leave a little leeway as one of the best parts of Toledo is just wandering. My personal tactic is to have a plan but go flex at some point, wander til I get lost, then find my way again with a map. This can lead to some very cool discoveries, and what you find feels more special because you just stumbled across it.

City gates: In addition to the Puerta de Sol and the Arco de Sangre which most people see, you could see the Cambrón gate, near San Juan de Reyes. Check out the sign on the wall between the two doors and the view over the plain from the other side. I also like the old Bisagra gate (to the right of the New Bisagra gate when standing at the tourism office). Good photo op from the right once inside. More or less straight ahead from this gate is another older gate: Puerta Valmardón, right next to the Cristo de la Luz mosque described below.  Another cool gate is the Alcántara bridge and gate, behind the Alcázar. The views from the far side of the bridge are good, and you can climb up to part of the walls over the gate. You can walk from here to the Puente de San Martin, about 3/4 around the old city, following the loop of the Tajo. Supposedly there is a path along the river all the way, but I have only walked part and seen other bits so cannot verify that information - anyway, the river path doesn't have much of a view, while following the road does.

Muslim Toledo: To really see Toledo, the City of Three Cultures, you really need to add something Muslim to the mix. This is a little more difficult than visiting Christian or Jewish monuments but you do have a few options.

Mezquita Tornerias: Remains of a mosque on Tornerias street. Now shows arts and crafts, but the opening times are a little erratic. 

Iglesia El Salvador (near Santo Tomé where the most famous Greco painting is located). This church used to be a mosque. Like several other churches, this is apparently no longer used for worship and is not always open. On one of my last visits it housed a temporary exhibit.

Belltower of Santiago del Arrabal church: This 12th century belltower might have been part of a mosque.

Urban layout. After just a bit of wandering you'll start wondering where you are: Europe? or somewhere else? The narrow, winding streets have an exotic feel, and if you peek into open doorways you'll get even more of that feeling. Peeking is ok if you are discrete, don't step over the threshold and are really polite about taking pictures. If you see the owner, tell them their house is "muy bonita".

Don't forget the "mudejar" architecture. Most of Toledo's older churches are built in the "mudejar" style, probably by Muslim craftsmen who stayed in Toledo after it was conquered by the Christians. They continued to build in the style they knew well: decorative brickwork, interlocking arches and "onion" or lobulated arches and windows. Apparently no one found it odd to have some Muslim style in a church or synagogue (both synagogues have some Muslim-style decorations).  But that's Toledo in the Middle Ages! City of Three Cultures.

Several of these monasteries and convents have art collections that can be visited, though some are cloistered communities so are not always open. But not being able to visit these collections does not diminish a long walk in this part of town.

With a map and a good sense of direction, you can find the Virgen de Gracia lookout, right over San Juan de Reyes monastery (see photo above). 

At the top of one of Toledo's many hills is San Román church, now the Visigothic museum. Toledo was one of the most important cities under the Visigoths (aprox 450 - 711 AD), but these remnants and a few architectural bits and pieces are almost all that is left from that time.  The chuch is interesting architecturally, as well as the museum. 

If you can arrange staying overnight, you'll have Toledo almost all to yourself and can wander the old streets soaking up the past. 

For price and schedule, The bus is probably a better choice than the train. Continental (now under Alsa)  bus line has departures every half hour from the newish Plaza Eliptica commuter bus station in Madrid (metro Plaza Eliptica), departures from both ends most of the usuable sightseeing day. Trip takes about 60-75 minutes.   

If you prefer the train the high speed "bullet" train leaves from Atocha at varying intervals during the day, minimum time between trains 30 minutes, maximum time between trains two hours. Trip takes 30 minutes and is more expensive than the bus. In Toledo the train station is a little farther from the center, so walking takes a bit longer - bus to city center is to the right as you leave the station, OUTSIDE the fence (there's often a tourist-route bus waiting inside the station).

If you go by bus, in Toledo, there is a city bus from the bus station up to the Zocodover, main square on the edge of the mostly  pedestrian old quarter, BUT going towards the city center it takes as long as walking if not longer. Walking also lets you stop at the tourist office before entering the city to get a map or ask any questions you might have. To walk, leave the station by the main door and turn right. Pass the parking lot and continue straight ahead on a wide street up a hill. You will have the city walls on your left on the other side of the street. At the top of the hill, you come to a big street. To your left is an arch, entrance to the old part of the city (Puerta Nueva de Bisagra) and across the street is a park. The tourism office is on the edge of the park - you can stop there for a map and any questions you might have. Be sure to ask if there are any special exhibits or festivities going on. Bus station to tourist office is about 10 minutes, about 10 more to the Zocodover square.  //  After your visit, the city bus from Zocodover to the bus station is fast (one way street system works fine in this direction): get the bus for the station in the Zocodover or at the Puerta Nueva de Bisagra).  

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