If I ever doubted myself for spending only a day and a half in Madrid and giving Toledo a full day, I was reassured by this quote I saw on a museum wall in Toledo:
Toledo is the city that offers the most complete and characteristic combination of all that has been Spanish land and civilisation. It is the summary that is the most perfect, most brilliant, and the most suggestive of our national history… Therefore, a traveller who has only a single day in Spain, should undoubtedly spend it in Toledo.
Toledo Train Station
The Toledo Train Station was a pretty little station with obvious Moorish influences. The geometric ceiling designs and the pointed and scalloped arch windows were a constant reminder of the seven centuries of Moorish control of Spain. The old ticket windows stood in the middle of the lobby but were no longer in use. I would much rather purchase tickets through this artistic window than the nondescript modern one.
Mirador del Valle
We took a taxi from the station straight to the Mirador del Valle, where we took in the whole of this fortress of a town that had stood since the Roman times. Its location on top of the rocky hill surrounded by the Tajo River made it easy to defend but difficult to attack. No wonder it served as the political and religious capital of Spain for centuries. Its current Medieval form still looked just as it did when El Greco painted it. The gloomy sky made the landscape even more foreboding.
Plaza de Zocodover
The taxi then took us across one of the few bridges into the Plaza de Zocodover at the center of the town. If you’re a Don Quixote fan, then you can find many traces of him here. His stories were depicted on tiles on the benches and his creator, Miguel de Cervantes, stood just outside this old gateway as if welcoming all to his storyland.
From the Plaza, we decided to divide and conquer. The parents and Sam went to the Army Museum for military history and I opted for the Santa Cruz Museum for close-up time with some El Grecos. Conveniently, the two museums were right next to each other just a few steps from the Cervante statue, which made accommodating different interests quite easy.
Santa Cruz Museum
The Santa Cruz was a cathedral/cloister-turned-gallery, laid out in a typical cross shape with all the pews removed. The cloister courtyard was beautifully manicured with lovely architectural details. The collection wasn’t massive like the Prado in Madrid, but it was well organized and super informative. I realized I needed a lot more knowledge of Spanish history to fully appreciate all the art in Spain.
El Greco fans must visit Toledo. Don’t take my word for it. It’s printed on the wall!
Some surprise finds included another portrait of Princess Margarita by Velazquez (he painted so many!) and a very “over-it” trumpet player. Seriously, with the ugly babies and funny characters, how can anyone say art museums are boring?
Army Museum
The Army Museum was located in the old Alcazar, or fortress, at the highest point of the town. It’s the square looking building with four pointed towers seen in the Mirador del Valle photo. I was told that the museum was very cool but poorly organized. The routes were difficult to follow, so they spent almost two and half hours to finish the visit. One could see everything from Medieval artillery to modern helicopters in there.
Toledo Cathedral
After a quick lunch, we made a B-line for the cathedral. Toledo was still considered the religious capital of Spain to this day, so it was only natural for it to have one of the most impressive cathedrals we saw in all of Spain. In our haste to get inside and out of the rain, we all forgot to take a photo of the whole front facade.
So much gold, so many chapels, so much adornment and figures. I had the weird feeling that I was inside a Russian nesting doll because every turn revealed another inner space. The building merged numerous architectural styles since it took over 250 years to complete and had been continually added on by the many who held power over the centuries. The audioguides we rented gave good (if a little overly dramatic) information, but didn’t always point out the details that I wanted to learn more about.
High Altar
The High Altar was the culmination of the cathedral, therefore was… a little too much. From where we stood behind the locked gates, we couldn’t see all the details but were just overwhelmed with the sheer amount of adornment that covered every surface. One of the unique things about Spanish cathedrals was that the different sections of the building were often walled and gated (maybe to keep all that gold safe?). Sam went around to the side to get a closer look through the windows.
Choir
The choir was particularly amazing with such detailed carvings from Bible scenes to religious figures. Here stood one of the most poignant Mary and Jesus figures ever depicted.
Sacristy
The Sacristy had a beautiful Renaissance fresco on the ceiling and El Grecos, Caravaggios, and Goyas lined the walls.
A True Medieval Town
While all major European cities have an old city center from the Medieval times, Toledo was the first one where I could actually imagine myself in the 12th century. The town really hadn’t changed much besides a few modern touches like street lights and tourist signs. Even though the rain didn’t hold up, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit!
Useful Travel Info
Train Schedules
There were two or three trains from Madrid to Toledo every hour, but it’s best to book your seats ahead of time (even just the night before). Personally, I found the Renfe website easier to use than the self-serve machines in the station and saves time from standing in line at the ticket windows. We arrived at Atocha Station the morning of our day trip to learn that the 9:20 train was sold out. But we were able to get on the next one and made it to Toledo by 11:00.
Winter Season Hours
Mid-October to March is considered winter season in much of Spain, which means attractions close early. So GO EARLIER THAN WE DID! We weren’t aware of this and ran out of time to see the White Synagogue and the Monastery of Saint John. But the Cathedral alone made the trip worthwhile and deserved a slow visit.