Surrounded by the River Tagus and the city walls, standing on a hill, the city of Toledo - capital of Castilla-La Mancha – is a fortress town that once gave shelter to Christian, Jewish and Moorish cultures, a fusion that encouraged the Toledo School of Translators to flourish. Thanks to this cultural wealth, Toledo contains churches, mosques and synagogues, and the city was catalogued as World Heritage in 1986.

Austere palaces, magical squares and steep, narrow, winding side streets; these are just some of the outstanding attractions in Toledo. Cervantes provides one of the most precise possible definitions of the city: “Rocky gravity, the glory of Spain, and light of her cities”.

Amongst the most outstanding monuments in the city is Toledo Cathedral, built on the site of the main mosque. Construction began in 1227 and was finally completed in 1493. The principal elements in this Gothic-style cathedral, with nave and four aisles, are the choir, the stalls, the high chapel and the impressive, artistic stained-glass windows, dating to the 15th and 16th centuries.

For its part, the Alcázar, which was built in Roman times and was also used as a fortress by Visigoths and Moors, dominates and has become a symbol of the city. Under King Charles I, the site was altered and extended by the addition of a palace, transformed to the extent that, today, each of its four fronts represents a different architectural style. No visit to Toledo is complete without taking the chance to see the painting, The Burial of Count Orgaz, a masterpiece by El Greco in the Church of Santo Tomé. Plaza del Zocodover is a key meeting point for locals and visitors alike, and an excellent spot for picking up such typical souvenirs of the city as marzipan, damascene jewellery and famous Toledo steel swords.

Toledo also boasts both excellent museums and fine restaurants serving such typical local dishes as roast lamb, partridge and tortilla a la magra, a potato and ham omelette. And what better way to round off the day with some delicious Manchego cheese accompanied by a glass of DO La Mancha wine?

Finally, Toledo’s proximity to Madrid means that this outstanding destination is well-communicated and easy to reach.