Spain from an English perspective

Declared as a national monument, Toledo, a small city found on a Castilian hilltop overlooking the Rio Tajo (River Tagus), was once the Spanish capital under the Visigoths (567 to 711) and again when Felipe II moved the Court of Spain to Madrid (1085 to 1561). It is still the religious centre of Spain. Locals often refer to Toledo as ‘La Ciudad Imperial’ (The Imperial City).

The Toledo tourism and tourist information office is situated just outside Toledo’s main gate and provides useful information on tourist attractions, popular sights and opening hours. There is also a smaller tourism and tourist information office close to the town hall. Some of the top attractions in Toledo includes the magnificent cathedral - housing some beautiful stained glass, delicate wood, stone sculptures and a large collection of paintings, El Alcázar (The Alcázar of Toledo) - a fort that was founded almost 1,000 years ago, Museo de Santa Cruz (Holy Cross Museum) - with a large art collection including a wide selection of El Greco and the Museo de Taller del Moro (The Taller del Moro Museum) - with interesting information about the construction of Toledo cathedral.
Toledo is situated near to Madrid, the capital of Spain, and is full of many charming narrow, winding streets which are almost like a labyrinth. Most of the Toledo hotels are located at the Plaza de Zocodover, which is known as Zoco to the locals, and there are also a good number of excellent restaurants and bars in this area of Toledo.

The diverse architectural styles that traverse the centuries from Gothic to Baroque have benefited from the city’s ties to the Christians, Moors and Jews. Boasting a plethora of fine arts including works by El Greco, Goya and Velaquez, Toledo is one of Europe’s most visited sites and very accessible on foot.

Source: World Guides