Visiting Toledo, Spain a Fabulous World Heritage Site
Historic and Beautiful Toledo
In July of 1992 my husband and I decided to take a one day tour of Toledo out of Madrid, Spain where we were vacationing.
Toledo, Spain is a World Heritage Site.
Having a guide is always helpful when visiting a new location and all I can say is that if you ever get the chance put Toledo high up on your list of places to visit.
One day gave us a distinctive flavor of the historic significance of Toledo but it would have been wonderful to have had more time to explore more of its many endless wonders and experience more of its history by delving into its spirited past.
An interesting past Toledo has definitely had!
Images of Toledo, Spain
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeToledo Day Tour from Madrid
After traveling through the countryside of Spain by bus we approached Toledo which is located just 70 kilometers south of Madrid.
Toledo is surrounded on almost three sides by the Tagus River which forms a natural moat.
Dating back many centuries Toledo is an historic and walled city and has gone through many occupations of conquerors. Not only is its history redolent with tales of various occupiers but its architecture speaks to those many influences which can enjoyed as well.
Christian, Jewish and Moorish designs have all had their impact and often buildings changed hands and were continued to be built upon with many of the past influences left in place.
Like the city of Rome, Toledo was built on 7 hills. It was the first capital of Spain.
The land mass inside the walls is only 89.59 square miles or 232.1 kilometers. Most all of the historic buildings which included places of worship (of which there are many) and the royal residence, etc. were inside the walls.
Outside of the walls were many private gardens and summer residences and today the suburbs can continue to spread in that fashion.
In 1986 UNESCO declared Toledo to be a World Heritage Site.
Part of the reason is that for many years the three cultures shared their lives and lived peaceably with each other overcoming racial differences and working together for the common good of everyone concerned.
Through the centuries there were fires destroying some of the buildings but most were rebuilt and refurbished.
Today the newer buildings are built to blend in with the old and maintain a certain character of the ancient Toledo.
Tourism is a big part of their industry as one might imagine.
Few places like this exist in the world. By visiting places like this we can get a glimpse into the past.
Toledo Cathedral
The Cathedral is one of the towering edifices in Toledo and is definitely a tourist attraction worth visiting for anyone visiting that area.
Originally an old Visigoth church was on that site and built on top of that was the largest Moorish mosque in Toledo. In the year 1086 it was converted into a Christian church.
A short look inside the cavernous Cathedral of Toledo
Taking two and a half centuries to build, one can realize the different artistic expressions that were manifested during that long time construction process.
The church was built in increments and two unequal sized towers are the result. It is difficult to see the full majesty of the structure from any one vantage point.
The Catholic Church
The greatest majority of monuments in Toledo attracting tourists from far and wide are religious in nature. The Catholic Church has played a significant role in making Toledo a Holy City only second to the influence of The Vatican in Rome.
Concentrated wealth in bygone eras helped create this proliferation of churches, monasteries, religious schools, convents, chapels and other buildings.
Even after the capitol of Spain was moved from Toledo to Madrid, ecclesiastical power remained in Toledo for a long time.
Artists like El Greco and others were attracted to living and working in these environs. There are a huge number of El Greco's paintings that still reside in Toledo today.
Rick Steves talking about the artist El Greco
In fact the entire city of Toledo is like a gigantic museum. Art, architectural wonders and medieval influences like the cobblestones, walls and gates of this city could keep one engaged in discoveries for a good while.
Toledo by Rick Steves
Toledo, Spain
A one day tour such as we had was a wonderful introduction to this most interesting of ancient cities. I envied the people that stayed there a little longer to roam the twisting streets and make additional discoveries while they soaked up the atmosphere. But alas we had other plans and more ventures to undertake in Spain some of which is shared in other posts.
Hope this gives you a snapshot of what there is to see and do while in Toledo, Spain. We merely scratched the surface!
Images of Toledo, Spain
Click thumbnail to view full-size
I am so glad that we took one day when in Madrid to go tour Toledo. I would heartily recommend it!
One couple's slideshow of visiting Toledo
Have you ever visited the UNESCO site of Toledo in Spain?
© 2009 Peggy Woods
Comments
Hi Peggy. I am enjoying following your trip. We were in Toledo for several days and enjoyed the history even driving around some of the small villages.
Beautiful pictures. I love travel and don't want to miss any destination. You commented on my hub so I returned back to check whether any interesting thing for me in your profile or not and found lots of travel related hubs.
Thanks for this comprehensive introduction to Toledo.
I enjoyed the virtual tour.
Thanks for bringing back the memories. There's so much to see in Toledo that I ended up staying the night. Having the map is helpful for orientation. Voting this Up and Useful.
Last year, I went to Spain and toured many cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Quruba and Granda. After reading you hub, I realize what I have missed. Thanks for sharing.
The pictures are beautiful. I would love to go there one day. It sounds like you had a fabulous time.
I really enjoyed this "virtual" tour of Toledo, a place I would love to visit in "reality"! Since that is not likely to happen anytime soon this Hub has given me all the pleasure of a visit!
Thanks so much for sharing all the information and your lovely pix!
Love and peace
Tony
Amazing, I hope sometimes go to Toledo
Amazing, I hope sometimes go to Toledo
Great hub! pictures are beautiful as usual.
I have never been to this part of the world and look forward to visiting it one day - you have many hubs on Spain that make the trip easier to plan. Both my sons are learning spanish so when they are older they can take their parents :)
Definitely!
But I think that it will be the Costa Brava this summer :)
Based on this hub and the great photos, I'm sure that you are right :)
I've never been to Toledo. That is now on my list of places I want to see! Lovely photos!
Well - thanks to your lovely photos I was able to see what we missed!!! It's something to look forward to next time.
One thing I do recall - we had the worst EVER Chinese meal in Toledo - but, of course, that's no reflection on the city itself :))
I loved this! My husband and discovered Toledo by happy accident last year on our annual trip back to the UK from our home in southern Spain. We wanted to avoid the nightmare of negotiating the motorway around Madrid so took a detour that ended up with us spending the night there.
We wish we could have stayed longer but we had to make Bilbao the next day to catch the ferry!
We will definitely return one day.
ps.nikam@rediffmail.com
this is my mail id Toledo i loving it
i m from india,
i live @ maharashtra, nasik422101
I M SEACH A PLACE 4 VISITING
Toledo IS VERY nice place
Have only visited Spain a couple of times, for days out, when in Portugal. Toledo seems to be a lot like Seville which we loved.
Hi, Peggy. Madrid is actually quite high on our "to visit" list and after viewing this fantastic Hub, it looks as though we should make the time to visit Toledo while we are there.
Beautiful photos. I liked the flowerboxes on the balconies.
Nice Hub!
Peggy! You did it again! The pictures and the hub are fantastic! I felt like I was touring with you :-)
Beautiful pictures. I can only imagine how you felt when surrounded by ancient buildings and landscape. Thanks for sharing these vacation pictures.
Wonderfully presented my dear and it reminds me of when I went to Switzerland (to visit my daughter)...the cobblestone walkways, the fountains in the towns and the Cathedral's were spectaculiar...I was in such AWWW in them,, way too beautiful...and the aire seemed so good...Loved the shops and the way they set things up,,,was the time of my life...well one of them...Thanks G-Ma :O) Hugs & Peace
It's been a long time since I've seen Toledo, but I remember the first time vividly. My traveling companion and I had driven during the night from Barcelona toward Toledo, and we were too tired to go on to our destination. We pulled the car over, wrapped ourselves in blankets, and fell asleep, sitting up in the car. When we awoke at daybreak, we saw the view in your first photo, gleaming in the morning sun against a crystal blue sky. We were freezing for the chill in the air, but we were also mesmerized. Thank you so much for the gorgeous pictures.
I really enjoyed the view of Toledo from your wonderful snapshots. I have been to Spain years and years ago and this makes me want to go pull out some old photos.
Absolutely georgeous!
I love Toledo -- have spent several happy days there, soaking in the atmosphere (and walking up and down those steep hills!) This is a lovely hub -- thank you so much for reminding me of the beauty and grandeur of the little town.
54