Toledo is one of the most important European centers of Medieval culture. This is a small city not far from Madrid, a real discovery for Spanish tourists. Thanks to its privileged situation on the Tagus river, the city is truly a unique one, where buildings created during different epochs co-exist together. The national Spanish symbol, the city that inspired El Greco in the 16th century was left almost unchanged.
The first person to mention this city was the Roman Emperor Titus Livius, who described it as the “small fortified town”. Fortifications have always been of historical importance here – still, tourists can observe monumental walls all around the place. It was the Spanish capital starting from the gothic epoch and till 1560 – that is why the city’s history is so impressive.
Named the Spanish national monument, Toledo looks like one huge museum. In 1987, it became the UNESCO world heritage. The city has managed to save its own historical style. The best way to observe Toledo is to have a stroll around the city and see the buildings of various epochs. The amphitheatre and the aqueduct are the objects that come from the Roman times. When the Goths conquered Spain in the 6th century, they made Toledo the capital of their empire, and the San Servando fortress is the reminiscence left from those times. It has also been one of the most important Northern-Spanish cities. Since those times, there were two mosques and three city gates left.
In medieval times, Toledo was the cradle of western culture, especially thanks to the interpreting school that was founded here by the Raimundo archbishop. This was the example of tolerance and co-existence of Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultures.
The cradle of monarchy and the archbishops’ residence, Toledo attracts its tourists thanks to the knowledge kept in its mosques, synagogues and monasteries. The Cathedral with works by such famous artists as El Greco, Goya and Rubens, the monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, magnificent bridges, gates, towers, the Alcazar palace add to the streets’ and squares’ attraction.
You can walk along Toledo streets where cars have never laid their routes – they are so narrow that the only creatures that can pass through this place are the man and his donkey. And, as you can understand, it is next to impossible to go along the Toledo streets without coming across some old mosque, or the gothic church, or the Renaissance palace.
Toledo is also famous for its lavish national cuisine. In many cafes and restaurants travelers can taste various dishes prepared according to local recipes, including the famous marchpane.
Souvenirs covered with black enamel and incrusted with gold as well as cold steel produced by “Toledo steels” are also popular all around the world.
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