Day 1

A good route for Toledo is to start at the Puerta de Bisagra, (the Bisagra Gate) stopping to visit the Iglesia of Santiago del Arrabal. Going up from that street we get to the Miradero (view point) which is a good place to rest and see the view. Then  keep going to the Plaza de Zocodover, and on the right going down a little is the Museo de Santa Cruz, together with the Cathedral it is the only museum worth seeing. After the Museo (museum) de Santa Cruz go to the Zocodover Plaza and take the Calle del Comercio (or Calle Ancha, the Business Street or Wide Street, as Toledo people like to call it) until you get to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento where the Cathedral is. After spending some time in the Cathedral, be sure to visit the museum in the Cathedral.  You can buy tickets at the small tourist store across the street from the main entrance.  From there, the best route is to take the Nuncio Viejo street to Santo Domingo el Real convent; if you are there during visiting hours you should go in to see the crypt of El Greco. Then go to the Cobertizos de Santa Clara, a deserted pedestrian street and the air makes strange noise that is almost eerie. From there, go to Calle de la Silleria to Cristo de la Luz where we will stop at the Mezquita, the mosque. The mosque has limited visiting hours and there is not much too see, but it is still interesting from a historical perspective.  From there, go down to the Puerta de Alfonso VI, and you will end up very close going to where you started.  Spend some time in the stores around town, and wandering the winding streets for lovely views that are often undiscovered by tourists.

Day 2

Starting at the Cathedral, take Trinidad street to Santo Tome; this is a good area for shopping. Then from there take Angel Street to San Juan de los Reyes- it is worth a visit.  After your visit, stop at the plaza in front of the church to see a wonderful view of Toledo.  From there continue down the hill to the Puerta del Canbron (the Gate of Canbron).  Before entering through the gate, go left to the San Martin bridge, and down by the river.  After spending some time around the river area, go back to San Juan de los Reyes. Continue past San Juan de los Reyes on Transito street back in the direction of the old town, and stop at the Santa Maria la Blanca Sinagoga; from there go to the Sinagoga del Transito (Sinagoga means synagogue). The Sinagoga del Transito was the largest synagogue in Europe at the time. It now serves as a museum that is worth visiting to find out about the history of the Sephardic Jews in Spain.  Unfortunately, the museum is temporarily closed but you can visit the website (see below).  Across the street from the Synagogue is a park named after El Greco with good views of the Valley.  The Casa del Greco very close, but it is not worth seeing if you do not have a lot of time. After your visits, you can go back down the hill from San Juan de los Reyes and follow the path to the left from the bridge.  You will see that the path goes into the Valley.  If you continue on the same path it will take you all around the Cigaralles, luxurious homes in the Valley that each have their own name, and all the way up the hill for the famous spectacular view of Toledo.  It looks just like in the postcards.  You will then go down the hill to the Alcantara bridge.  At the top is the San Servando Castle, which is now under construction for future use as a youth hostel. You will also pass by a large building that looks like the enormous palace in the old town; the building in the valley is now a military school, thus the inscription "Todo por la Patria," or "Everything for the Fatherland."  The large building in the Casco, or old town, is now a military museum and houses the public library of Toledo.  If you do not want to hike the entire Valley, there is a mini tourist “train” that leaves from Zocodover square which is very nice, or you can just take a taxi.
There is a lot more to see, if you have time, just get lost and look at the patios.  If you are in Toledo on a Tuesday, you can go to the flea market: walk down the hill from Zocodover to the Puerta Bisagra, go through the Gate, and you will see a park full of stands selling clothes, food, and ceramics.

Museum Notes

The Sinagoga del Transito (Museo Sefardi, Sefardic Jewish Museum- see www.museosefardi.net  In Spanish only.) and the Museo del Ejercito in the Alcazar are both closed currently for renovation- as of April 2003.  The Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Taller del Moro are also closed.  On Wednesday afternoon, the Cathedral museum, San Juan de los Reyes, the Count of Orgaz Museum and the Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca are free to members of the European Union upon showing an identification card.  On Wednesday the Santo Tome Church is open to the public (located right next to the Count of Orgaz painting and museum, and included in the admission to the Count of Orgaz); the church contains a beautiful ornate gold altar piece and a statue of a Black Virgin Mary.  On Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Casa y Museo de El Greco is free to the general public  Most of what used to be the Museum of Santa Cruz is now closed off and the museum mainly houses special exhibitions.

How to Get to Toledo

Coming from Madrid there are buses every half hour, leaving from the South Bus Station (Estacion Sur). Direct buses to Toledo are on the hour, and at 12:30 and 1:30.  Indirect buses take about an hour and a half instead of an hour, because they pass through various local towns on the way to Toledo.  Also there are numerous trains that leave from the Atocha train station that are pretty comfortable and not much more expensive than the bus.  The train takes about an hour to get to Toledo.  You can get a schedule from the offices for local trains at the train station.

Tourist Offices in Toledo

Dirección General de Turismo de la Junta de Castilla-La Mancha.
Cuesta del Alcázar, 5, 3º.
Tel: 25 21 99. Fax:25 20 99.

Toledo Tourist Information Office.
Puerta de Bisagra s/n.  Located in a park in front of the Puerta de Bisagra. Open every day in the morning.
Tel: 22 08 43.

The Best Views of Toledo

From a native's insider perspective: the view from the Parador hotel is the best view of the Valley- go there for a drink if you can't stay there.  You can also have a drink at the Kiosko Base, located at the top of the hill in the valley.  During the day, the church of Ermita de Nuestra Senora del Valle is often open, and you can go in the gate for a great view of Toledo.  The Ermita restaurant and the Rama restaurant have spectacular views, though high priced food.  The Alcazar is closed, but go there for the view: the side opposite the closed entrance, facing the valley, with statues in front, has a park in front with a great view of the military school and the castle; go down the steps into the park.  The plaza in front of San Juan de los Reyes also has a nice view, as well as the park in front of the Sinagoga del Transito.

Where to Stay: Reviews

There are a large variety of nice places to stay, starting with the Parador, a four star hotel, to nice hostels such as the Nuevo Labrador, which is very economical, including a  TV and a bathroom.

Hotel Cardenal, ***- Paseo de Recaredo, 24, Tel: 925 224900, Restaurant- 925 220 862; Email: cardinal@hostaldecardenal.com; Website www.cardenal.asernet.es.  Prices:  Double-  Off Season 76.11 euros, high season 96.93 euros;  Single Off Season 47.22 euros, High Season 60.13 euros.  Continental Breakfast 6.9 euros year-round.  REVIEW:  This is a lovely hotel that is actually in the old wall that surrounds historic Toledo.  The rooms are a bit old, but very clean and nicely kept.  You can just walk out the front door and into old Toledo.  There are gardens and fountains and a nice restaurants that caters to weddings.  The only problem is the parking; the hotel has parking but you have to move your car before 9 a.m. since buses stop in the parking lot.  There is a small park across the street where you can park, and you probably won't get a ticket.

Hotel Parador-  This hotel boasts THE best view of Toledo, since it is high on a hill above the rest of the views of the Valley.  Request a room with a view.  If you cannot stay here, you should come for coffee or wine in the cafe of the hotel, which is open to the public to enjoy the lovely views.  Wedding couples come here to pose for pictures.  You will need a car to get there.  www.spanishparadores.com 

AC Hotel Ciudad de Toledo-*****- Ctra. Circunvalacion, 15, Tel: 925 285 125; This is a very new hotel.  The view of the Valley is spectacular from the large balconies of some of the rooms.  The rooms are new and very clean.  The decoration is lovely.  You can walk around the Valley or over the bridge into town right from the hotel.  www.ac-hotels.com  In English, Spanish, or Italian.

Hotel Beatriz- ****- This is a lovely hotel on the outskirts of Toledo.  Weddings receptions are held at the hotel, since it is very large.  The rooms are large and modern, with satellite t.v.  Rooms are very clean.  Probably the closest to a large, modern American-style hotel in Toledo, including a large pool.  www.hotelbeatriztoledo.com  In Spanish, English, and German.

Hotel Mayoral-  ***-This hotel has decent size, clean, new rooms.  It is conveniently located right next to the bus station, which means that not only can you catch an early bus but also there is very little noise compared to some hotels in the center of old Toledo where there are many bars and restaurants.  The hotel has a nice cafe for breakfast.  You can just walk up the hill from the hotel and you are in old Toledo.  Prices are the same year-round: single 57.80 euros plus 7% tax; double 90 euros plus 7% tax.

Hotel Duque de Lerma- Espino 10, Tel: 925 222 500; www.hotelesmartin.com

Hotel Las Conchas ***- Calle Juan Labrador 8, Tel: 925 210 760; www.lasconchas.com

**Stay in a 17th century convent on the outskirts of Toledo: Hospederia San Pedro Bautista; Calle Convento 25, Lillo Toledo; Tel: 925 17 05 57.  Email: hospederialillo@terra.es. 

Where to Eat

There are a lot of restaurants in Toledo though most cater to tourists and therefore have a very touristy atmosphere. If you do not want to try Spanish food there is a McDonald's in the Zocodover square.  The typical dish of Toledo is supposedly perdiz, or partridge, which is actually quite tasty though not very meaty.  People from Toledo do not actually eat much perdiz.  See the Food section for information on typical Spanish food.

REVIEWS OF THE AUTHORS:

La Rama-  Carretera del Valle, 1; Tel: 925 220 094.  Located in the path around the Valley, not far from Santo Tome.  REVIEW:  This restaurant has changed ownership various times, and now is quite pricey.  The food is elegant, but not worth the high prices.  However, it is worth having a meal at the restaurant just for the spectacular views of Toledo.  We came with a large group and had to wait a bit for the waiters to combine some tables.  The service was quite slow though the restaurant was not very full- this is typical of Spanish restaurants.  We asked to start with some appetizers, and we were more or less tricked into three courses of very expensive appetizers, so be careful what you ask for.  We started with the house pate, which is included free with any meal.  It was a nice pate.  Then we were served Jamon Serrano, Chorizo slices, and Manchego cheese with bread.  This was plenty, and it is quite pricey.  Next we were served seafood croquettes which were good, and I don’t usually like croquettes.  We were also served a cheese ball of a nice strong cheese that tasted like goat cheese, with a bit of marmalade in it to balance the flavors, also quite nice.  I tried the white fish with small clams.  The fish was light and delicious, though the sauce was a bit heavy.  We also tried the ostrich, which had a strong flavor at first but was nicely done.  One guest had the partridge, the typical dish from Toledo, which was perfectly cooked and flavored but with not much meat.  For dessert we tried the chocolate cake which was dry and boring, though the ice cream that came with it was O.K.  The torrija, basically like French toast but served in Spain as a dessert, was well done.  The citrus ice cream was also very nice, with a nice contrast of flavors.  Overall the food is quite overpriced but worth a conservative visit for the views.

La Campana Gorda- Calle Hombre de Palo, 13; Tel: 925 21 01 46-  Located in the old part of Toledo.  Open for lunch and dinner, tapas or a full meal; also a bar.  REVIEW:  The sangria had a nice flavor, with a cherry undertone, but almost no pieces of fruit and so much sugar we could see a pile of it in the bottom of the pitcher.  We had tapas for dinner.  The restaurant in back is decorated with a large stained glass window and two toreador (bullfighter) outfits.  We had the salad with shrimp, which came with shredded carrots and beets and was a good size to share.  We also had the peppers stuffed with bacalao or codfish, which came with four red peppers filled with a creamy fish mixture.  The peppers had a good flavor.  The calamares were the large ring kind, and they were fine, though nothing special- the other kind of octopus on the menu, the small octopi-like creatures, looked better.  We also had a serving of the goat cheese, which had a nice strong flavor but was a bit hard.  The tapas were a bit pricey as tapas go, but not too bad, ranging from $6-10 per item.  Overall, the food was not bad and the guests were Spaniards, not tourists.

Palacios Restaurant-  Calle Alfonso X El Sabio, 3; Tel: 925 215 972 or 925 223 497- Located in the old part of Toledo.  REVIEW:  This is a touristy restaurant that advertises its special menu, a first course and a second course, with dessert, bread and wine or water, for either 6 euros or 10.21 euros (tax included).  The first course consists of paella, salad, soup, or more options with the more expensive menu.  The cheaper menu has veal, fish, chicken, steak, or hamburger for the second course, and the more expensive menu has veal, lamb, partridge, fish, including salmon, chicken, or meat as the second course.  We had a party and tried a different menu that works well for groups, with tapas as the first course.  We had some good calamares, seafood croquettes, Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, and other tapas.  I then had the swordfish, which was quite a large piece of fish served in the traditional Spanish style with oil and garlic.  For dessert we had a Viennessa ice cream cake and cava, or sparkling wine.  Overall it was a nice experience, and on a Saturday night I did not see any tourists.

Cerveceria Santa Barbara - Located in the popular Santa Teresa area in the modern part of Toledo where there are many bars and lots of night life.  REVIEW:  Not many tourists make it to this part of town, so you will find tapas that real Spaniards eat.  You can walk to Santa Teresa from the old part of town, in about 10 minutes.  We tried the calamares, since that is what everyone else in the bar was ordering, and they were delicious.  They were lightly coated and salted.  We each had a minibocata, which were not very big but big enough to split in half to share two kinds.  They come on toasted bread with plenty of filling.  The sandwich with crab, ham, and asparagus was lovely.  The anchovy sandwich came with lots of large anchovies.  I had a vino de verano, which is light red wine mixed with citrus soda.  The tapas overall were very good, which is probably why the place was filled to standing room only.

La Venta del Alma-  Ctra. de Piedrabeuna, Tel: 925 254 245. Located on the path toward the valley off the San Martin bridge.  REVIEW:  This is not so much a place to eat, but a lovely cafe that is a must see if you can get there when it is open.  Open in the afternoon and at night, it's lovely decorations make it a site for wedding photos.  The Venta has a nice patio and fountains.  They serve alcohol, milkshakes, and alcoholic coffee drinks.  At night, there is a discotheque.  We always bring all of our visitors here.

El Parador- You will need a car to get there.  Located in the valley, on the highest hill that overlooks it.  This is also a place to come for drinks, when the weather is warm, so you can sit outside and enjoy THE best view of Toledo.  Stop in on the weekend afternoon or evening for coffee or alcohol.

For drinks: Picaro- Located in the old part of Toledo, this is a non- pick up bar for twenty and thirty somethings.  The bar has great drinks, and live shows on the weekends.  There is a line out the door if you come late on the weekend, so come early.

Shopping

The best souvenirs to buy in Toledo are Damasquino (gold work), marzipan, and ceramics. There are a lot of stores all over, but be careful not to buy at the first place you see, since the prices vary greatly from one store to the next.  Sometimes you can find marzipan made by nuns which is quite good and inexpensive. The prices for the damasquino vary by the detail in the work; more detail uses more gold and is therefore more expensive.  Spain is a good place to buy leather and in Toledo you will find good stores for leather.

The Weather

The best time to visit Toledo is probably in May or June when the temperatures are in the 80s. The winter in Toledo is cold during the month of January, less cold in February, and mild in March. July and August are very hot, and many days the temperatures are in the 100s. In Toledo the heat is dry heat so it does not feel as hot as in places with humid weather. During fall and spring the weather changes a lot, one day may be hot and the next cold and windy.  December is usually fairly warm for winter; during the day it is pleasant to walk around.

The Roman Circus and The Arab Baths

Apart from the usual sites, Toledo has some other remnants of history.  Unfortunately, the tourist office does not have information on either the baths or the circus.

The Roman Circus  The Romans took what was then known as Toletum in 192 B.C.  From the time of the Roman conquest, there are ruins of a Roman Circus and a Roman Aquaduct in Toledo.  The circus is located outside the old town, accessible by car.  The knife and sword industry flourished in Toledo under the Romans.  The major Roman strongholds in Spain were in Merida, Cartagena, Cordoba, Tarragona, Zaragoza, and Cadiz.  The process called Romanization began in 200 B.C. and continued for six centuries.  The Roman Charter of Urso, laws inscribed on two bronze tablets, are on display in Madrid's Archaeological Museum.  The Iberian peninsula was divided into two provinces under the Romans, Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior.  In the 5th century A.D. the Romans were conquered first by the German tribe the Alani, and then by the Visigoths.

The Arab Baths  The government has spent years restoring these baths, or "hammams," located in the Valley in Toledo.  Unfortunately, there is not much information about them at the display.  Toledo was one of the most powerful taifa, or Moorish, kingdoms after Seville and Granada.  Under the Moors, Spain experienced a very different cultural development than the rest of Europe.  Spain was ruled by Muslim Berbers, and muwallads, converted Christians.  The main plaza in Toledo, the Zocodover, was an Arab horse market, and still retains its Arab name.  In 1085, King Alfonso VI of Castille's army recaptured Toledo in the first crucial victory of the Reconquest.  According to The Story of Spain, by Mark Williams, the civil strife among factions of Moors "helps explain why the Moors did not conquer the entire peninsula in those first years.  If they had done so, the Reconquest might never have developed and Spain would be a Muslim nation today."