"The entire city is a national monument" Top 5 Page for this destination Toledo by rexvaughan

Toledo Travel Guide: 663 reviews and 1,744 photos

View of Toledo from across the River Tejo

Enjoyable heritage

Toledo is an old and historic city with roots going back about 2500 years and includes episodes involving early Jewish colonists, Visigoths, Romans, Moors and tons of church prelates, synods and such. The city itself is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Spanish government has designated it so that no modern exteriors are permitted to preserve its wonderful character. It is also a relatively small and immensely enjoyable city. It has wonderful old city gates, a variety of interesting museums, excellent transportation options, a great little market square for food, drinks, snacks and all the people watching you can want.

Hilly but walkable

Toledo model

The city is very hilly and the maze of little twisting, narrow streets are an excellent chance to get lost. It took me less than an hour and a half to get lost and I was on a pretty wide busy street. However, I soon got my bearings and found that the easiest way into the old city from where we were staying is up a 6 story open escalator system which takes care of the steepest climb (did I mention that the city is hilly?) and then an easy stroll to the center. In one of the synagogue museums I found a 3 dimensional model of the city that is both attractive and shows its location at the top of the hill in the bend of the Tejo River. You can even see the old city wall outlined in it.

Heart of the city

Plaza de Zocodover

Even though we found the Alcazar closed for renovation, the exterior of the building is still one of the eye-catching features, along with the Cathedral, of the city as you approach from almost any direction.. Most of what you want to see is a very short walk from the apparent heart of the city, Plaza de Zocodover. We found this to be the best place to begin any foray as well as the best place to stop for coffee, beer, wine or lunch. Oh yes, there is also a gelato shop here - most important for any tourist. The square also is a hub of local activity so you can sit and enjoy watching both the tourists and the locals. It appears to be a very popular meeting place for young men and women so there is always a lot of activity.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Beautiful and compact
Cons:Did I mention the hills?
In a nutshell:A joy to see and enjoy

Last visit to Toledo: Sep 2006
Intro Updated Oct 2, 2006
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Reviews (18)

Train between Madrid and Toledo Transportation (2)

From what I have seen in the past, train service from Madrid's Atocha Station and Toledo has gotten a good bit faster... more travel advice

Just a friendly game of boules Local Customs (2)

Just across from our hotel was a lovely large public park where I wandered some, in the mornings for coffee, or just a... more travel advice

Go to the heart of Toledo Favorites (2)

While not geographically the center, Plaza Zocodover is clearly the heart of the city. Here you see locals meeting, tour... more travel advice

Great people watching in the heart of... Restaurants (5)

As we found ourselves passing through Plaza Zocodover almost everywhere we went, it was a great place to stop for... more travel advice

Things to Do (6)
See All Synagoga del Tansito (Shepardic Museum)

Hotels (1)
Former residence of the Cardinal

Comments (10)

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unaS Apr 11, 2009 at 10:55 AM

Thanks again Rex. Have saved all of your tips.
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Jefie Mar 28, 2009 at 5:44 AM

Thanks for the tip about the name of that restaurant on Plaza Zocodover :o) And I have to agree with you, I wish I would have made it a weekend-long visit instead of just a daytrip, it looks like you made the most of your time in beautiful Toledo!
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jumpingnorman Mar 23, 2009 at 2:09 PM

Holy Toledo! It is a really nice place, rex...I thinks my kids will enjoy the train ride...Norman :)
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Lunaina Jul 14, 2007 at 8:06 AM

Nice photos and tips!! I now relived my Toledo trip! Thanks!!
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Vulindlela Apr 1, 2007 at 7:10 PM

Wow, what a wonderful page! Looks great.
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Dabs Oct 30, 2006 at 7:12 PM

Just checking back for your additions since my last visit! Love the escalator tip, the only time I've seen one outside like that was in Barcelona :-)
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deecat Oct 13, 2006 at 5:37 AM

Rex, terrific description of the hotel. Brought back wonderful memories. Wow! lots added since Oct. 2 Such a fantastic job of capturing this lovely city. Restaurant tips are just wonderful. You certainly saw more than I did, and I now want to return.
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virtualpatrick Oct 10, 2006 at 2:17 PM

Ahhh the Gambrinus Cervecceria. Thanks for reminding me of the name of the place I had a few cañas y tapas after visiting Ste. Tome area of Toledo. Looking forward to seeing and hearing about your experience at VaughanTown.
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Maurizioago Oct 9, 2006 at 1:55 PM

The Toledo train is called "Zocotren". Ciao!
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Jeannette1 Oct 2, 2006 at 8:45 PM

Very nice description of the city and the hotel where you stayed looks wonderful. But who is the young looking woman with the purple shirt???