In the heart of Spain lies the picturesque city of Toledo, a city full of memories and experiences...
DAY 1:
We set off very early in the morning on a 3 hour drive South; it was a surprise trip to Toledo, Spain! The city starts to come into view and we head to the first place I have planned to visit: I tried to pack as much things as possible into our weekend away as there is so much to see in this city!
Our first stop was the Puente San Martin to the West of the city. A beautiful bridge that crosses the River Tagus. It was only a view hours after sunrise and already the sun was shining bright. We checked the weather forecast beforehand and the temperature was set to be over 38°c with clear skies! After a quick photo stop we head to the next location: the Monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes...
We enter the Monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes and the entry fee is €3 but we notice that there is a possibility of buying a bracelet (continue reading and I'll explain more about this). The Monastery is an Isabelline style church built by Catholic Monarchs, and is said to have been commissioned by Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand II to commemorate their victory over the Portuguese-Castilian forces.
Inside the Monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes
Next on the list is the Sinagoga de Santa María la Blanca. This is the first time either of us have ever been to a Jewish Synagogue so we didn't really know what to expect - but it blew our minds away! The Synagogue was incredibly beautiful! The interior was all white and it makes sense really (Santa Maria la Blanca translates to the White Saint Mary). Anyway it was an incredible experience, and once we left there was a small exhibition next door - a very interesting lady was explaining to us all about the Jewish history, and it was so lovely to see and hear someone so interested about their religion, about their work; it was actually quite moving.
We left the Synagogue and went to the Church of Santo Tomé and then onto the Cuevas de Hercules. I had done some research and stumbled across these "caves" - I thought it was strange that they were only open for two hours or so, from 12:00-14:00 if I remember correctly. Anyway once we were there it wasn't really what we expected, there were no caves as such. You enter the building and there are objects on display as if it was a museum and you can look down and see some kind of ruins. We take the stairs down to the ruins expecting the caves to be there but there were no caves really. It was completely different than all of the touristy things we had been doing so far but like I said it wasn't quite what we expected.
Next on the list was the Cathedral of Toledo. The Cathedral is one of the main sites in Toledo just like the Alcazar. I believe it costs €10 to enter but with that price includes an audioguide you can choose to listen to. In fact, Toledo's illustrious Cathedral ranks among the top 10 cathedrals in Spain. It is an impressive example of medieval Gothic architecture with its enormous interior full of rose windows, ribbed vaults and pointed arches among them. The cathedral also hosts a veritable art gallery with works by Velázquez, Goya and El Greco.
I actually want to share the following image on its own because I am captivated by the ceiling, it almost reminds me of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City:
The only bad thing about our visit to the Cathedral was that due to construction work it was not possible to go up to the towers, and we really wanted to to see the view of the city.
Luckily we accidently walked past the Iglesia de Los Jesuitas - I actually hadn't planned to go here because I didn't know about it but I'm so glad we did! We took a look around the church first before heading up the tower and we were met with this view that you can see to the left. It had been what we were waiting for all day. In most places that we have been to we manage to go to some part of the city where we can overlook everything. And as expected we were stunned with the view, you could clearly see the Alcázar which towers over the city.
By this time we had done a lot of exploring, a lot of walking and we were starting to get tired. So as the day draws to a close we head to a few more places before going to our Airbnb for the night (you can check out my Airbnb blog to see where we stayed). To the left we are pictured at the Puerta del Sol which is located right next to the Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz. On the northern slopes of the city you'll find this modest, yet beautiful mosque which is the only one still remaining out of the 10 mosques which were built in Toledo. Following this we proceed to the Puerta de Bisagra and then onto the Roman Circus. The Roman Circus is now exposed and you can see the ruins of an ancient stadium that hosted gripping chariot and horse races.
At this point we had finished for the day and it was time to head back. We took the escalators which take you back up into the city and were met with this spectacular site (see below). An amazing way to finish an amazing day!
DAY 2:
Our second day began at the Alcázar. The Alcázar of Toledo is a stone fortification located in the highest part of the city and can be viewed from anywhere. Once used as a Roman palace, the Alcázar has taken many forms; now it is a Museum of the Army (Museo del Ejercito) and contains a number of artefacts. The events of the Spanish Civil War at the Alcázar made the structure a symbol for Spanish Nationalism. By the end of the siege, the building had been severely damaged. In fact there is one room which has not be changed - you enter the room and you are immediately taken back in time, it looks like it has just been bombed. The walls are falling apart, there is shrapnel and debris everywhere - it really gives it an authentic look! After the war it was then rebuilt to its former glory and open to the public as it is now. Normally entrance costs €5 but if you go on a sunday you can visit for free.
The Alcázar of Toledo
I will warn you there is so much to see in the Alcázar - there are around 6 floors jam-packed with stuff! You can easily get lost inside, it took us about 3 hours to see everything!
(Left) A map showing the interior and exterior routes of the Alcázar (Right) A map showing all of the floors inside
After the Alcázar we grab the car and head to the other side of the river to take a look at some of the views of the city. There is a castle nearby that we checked out first, the Castle of San Servando which you can access from the Puente de Alcantara, but to get quite close it's fairly difficult because it is closed to the public. I would suggest if you have time, walk along the river on the route of the Sende Ecologica de Toledo. Anyway we continue along the river and head to the Mirador de Valle which offers some nice panoramic views. And it is here where we finish our amazing weekend away...
My Recommendation:
In Toledo it is possible to purchase a Pulsera (a bracelet). This bracelet I believe costs €10 and allows you entry into 7 major sites. Most of these sites cost €3 to enter so buy purchasing this bracelet you are indeed saving money! I will leave a list of the sites that are included with this bracelet.
Real Colegio de Doncellas Nobles
Iglesia de Los Jesuitas
San Juan de Los Reyes
Mezquita del Cristo de La Luz
Iglesia de Santo Tomé
Iglesia del Salvador
Sinagoga de Santa María la Blanca
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