Toledo top 10 tours and activities – Get your guide

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We are in 1085 and Alfonso VI reconquered Toledo. It then became part of the kingdom of Castile. Alfonso, the King promised to respect all religions that gathered in Toledo around those days. A culture of exchange originated those it should not be shown as an ideal world. This push  made it possible for the prestigiuos School of Translators to be established in Toledo during the reign of the King Alfonso X, best known as  the Wise. His time focused on culture and knowledge and this spread throughout Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries.

What happened? Translations of Arabic and Jewish texts among many thing like, translations of Greek  and roman works. This efforts made of Toledo a European intellectual center of its time. All this work helped the rest of  Europe to acquire deep knowledge of Muslim and Hebrew cultures and beliefs, as well as to rediscover classical Greek masters, books, traditions and learnings.

During the fourteenth century these 3 cultures co-existed in Toledo but then problems emerge and the cohesion  existed began to disintegrate. Economic and social problems developed and cohesion between peoples and cultures eroded.

The Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Fernando de Aragón and Isabel de Castilla, distanced themselves more from these other religions that had coexisted for so long,  and since 1492 they expelled the Jewish community that settled in Toledo and ther rest of Spain in the Visigothic period. The Jewish community were forced to pay extra taxes.  

During the reign of Carlos I (or Charles V) , in 1519, Toledo became the capital of the Spanish Empire, which was a vast Empire that comprised the Americas. But during the reign of hjs son Felipe II, the Court was moved to Madrid, which at the time was a very small town and this implie dToledo lost its political strength and began a long period of decline both in cultural and in economic terms

Best Toledo Tours – viator

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Toledo´s first written mention dates from 192 a. C. Archeology has shown for several years that where Toledo stands today there used to be an agricultural-livestock village in the Bronze era located on the Cerro del Bu, on the other side of the Tagus River which faces Toledo. Recent research has also found remains of houses in different parts of what is to day the historic center.

In Roman times it was already a very important place, and the romanroad linked to Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza) with Emerita Augusta (Mérida), and it met the passage of the Tagus towards Hispalis and Bética, which favored its flowering and growth and development in times of the Roman Empire.

Despite not very visible, Toledo offers still the possibility to see remains of temples, theaters, amphitheaters, a strong wall as well as roman roads, bridges and a even a hydraulic system of water supply of the city.

According to the the research made, the extent of the ruins of the Roman circus indicates it was for around 13,000 spectators, a number not negligible in the first century AD. C., they could attend the races.

The disappearance and fall of the Roman Empire left wat to the the growth of the Frankish kingdom which ended up displacing its capital city first to Barcino (Barcelona) and then Seville to finally settle in Toledo.

So Toledo was the place where the Councils were held, a kind of State Council to resolve the most important issues of the kingdom, with the participation of bishops. Between the year 400 and 711 it is believed that  17 councils took place in the city of Toledo.

Tours To Toledo -best options available

A small history of tours to Toledo

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Why Toledo?: its historic center  whose location equals in originality Venice or Bruges, stands on the promontory that contours a large meander of the river Tagus,  which surrounds the city to the east, south and west. Known generally as the City of Three Cultures, due to the peaceful -sometimes this I san overstatement- coexistence of Christians, Muslims and Jews for centuries, Toledo offers inside its walls a spectacular display of the history of Spanish art. All the groups that have shaped the history of Spain – Romans, Visigoths, Muslims, Jews and Christians – left their mark on Toledo and can still be seen and enjoyed, making it worthy of being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, for its scenic values, its geographical environment , the Cigarrales, Las Vegas and their viewpoints, some of which offer breathing views of Toledo.

Today Toledo retains the image of a medieval cityand is protected and sheltered in towers and walls. A good number of different doors are opened through which you can access Toledo´s

 impressive historic center. From its main entrance, which is located at the the Bisagra Gate, to the San Martín Bridge and the Alcántara Bridge (both beautiful), in different positions, its historic site offers numerous sites to visit and contemplate. The solemn and rich Cathedral of Toledo, the imposing Alcazar castle and fortress (today a museum)  in front of the Tagus, the Mosque of Christ of the Light, the synagogues of Santa María la Blanca and the Transit, the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes, the Palace of Fuensalida, the Convent of San Gil and The Santa Cruz Museum are just a few examples of the many historical monuments and buildings that the city houses.

Toledo, a city to tour and enjoy

Toledo is a city that completely sums up the history of Spain.
A tour through its streets is to walk an open museum of the history of Spain. 

viees of Cathedral and Alcazar in ToledoToledo was declared in 1986 Unesco World Heritage site.
With more than 100 monuments, and classified buildings of great historical value, Toledo  offer good reasons for a visit. Toledo is the city of 3 cultures.

mudejar church
mudejar church

Toledo was already declared a National Monument in 1940 (along with Santiago de Compostela). Besides its monuments, its landscapes (the Cigarrales area) offer fantatic value. 
In the second century BC the Roman conquest of Toletum (name the Romans gave the city) occured. The Romans developed the city. In the Visigoth period, during the reign of King Leovigildo, Toledo was declared City Regia (VI century AD).

tower toledo cathedralDuring the reign of Alfonso X the Wise, in the thirteenth century, the Toledo School of Translators was established: Toledo was the city of the three cultures. The city was a bridge to exchange knowledge between Europe and East.
Toledo was then an Imperial City during the reign of Charles I of Spain and V of Germany. 

We can only start to understand why thousands of tourists decide to enjoy a Toledo Tour every month. 

interior Cathedral Toledo
Today Toledo is a dynamic and peaceful city . Toledo is the capital of Castilla La Mancha , one of the autonomous communities of Spain . Toledo is also home of the UCLM university (UCLM University of Castilla la Mancha ) and is connected to Madrid and the rest of Spain with the AVE ( high speed train).
The appearance of the city is due to its Islamic - medieval heritage. During a tour of Toledo winding streets you get back into history: churches, sinagogues, houses with courtyards... Toledo´s location plays an important role in its morphology. Located on a high over the Tagus River, Toledo rises 70 meters above the river: a perfect defensive emplacement. The Tagus river surrounds the city from the south, east and west. On the north the city is covered by a wall of about 2 kilometers. A tour of this area reveals Toledo´s Islamic and medieval heritage too in its bridges and gates.

Toledo square
flags and statues Toledo

The surface inside the walls is more than 125 hectares. This surface makes Toledo the largest historical City-center of Spain and one of the largest in Europe. One of the biggest interests of Toledo is that it is a city where many civilizations have been mixed. Romans, Visigoths , Muslims, Jews , Mozarabes and Christians left all their mark on the city. Today we can leave our hotel in Toledo to start our tour of the city and as we walk we will find an Islamic building, followed by another Gothic, one Renaissance church, yet another Moorish building, a Baroque monument...
All this historical legacy and its impressive cultural past explain why Toledo is today a major tourist destination , with more than 2 million visitors each year that tour the City. The proximity to Madrid also help in this regard . 
In the same way that Barcelona is linked to the figure of Gaudi, Toledo is strongly connected with El Greco. The painter Domenico Theotocopuli , El Greco (1541-1614) , arrive to Toledo in 1577. The " Burial of Count Orgaz " in the Church of Santo Tomé is the most outstanding work of El Greco in Toledo, but there are many others in the museum that bears his name , as well as the Cathedral (Catedral Primada) .

bells Toledo
Any visitor should not miss the Gothic cathedral with its chapels , the Treasury , the fantastic Sacristy , the Choir and the main Altar. 
Another highlight in Toledo is in the Church of Santo Tomé, where you will discover the "Burial of the Lord de Orgaz " , painted by El Greco.
Not far from Santo Tomes are the Synagogue of Transito and Santa Maria la Blanca.
Bu there is more to see and enjoy in Toledo: La Casa y Museo del Greco offers a good collection of master pieces from the artist. The Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes is probably Toledo´s most beautiful church . More museums can be found: The Museo de Santa Cruz , the Army Museum at the Alcazar, the Tavera Museum and the Museum of the Councils, this last one located in the Church of San Roman. Exceptional works of art can be seen in the Convent of Santo Domingo el Antiguo , and other religious and civil buildings will be found by the visitor at every step while you walk the streets of Toledo
To wander through the quiet streets of Toledo, a visit to an old house with its private yard, or to stand there where poets and painters sang and painted their wonders to the City brings the visitor a taste of the pas in a modern world. A very interesting tour option in Toledo consits of dramatized guided visits (they are offered both during the day and at night). These tours recreate different times of the historical past of Toledo. This is something new and interesting, which adds to the touristic offer of the city. There are also free guided tours offered by students. 
Toledo offers visitors two important religious events every year: the first is Easter and the second one the Corpus Christi Procession. The Corpus Christi in Toledo was declared of special international tourist interest. During the Semana Grande of Corpus visitors can enjoy the streets full of flowers and admire the Patios in Toledo. If you would like to enjoy a more relaxed tour to Toledo this may however not be the best time of the year.
The best views of Toledo are probably from the Ermita de la Virgen del Valle, both at day and night.  A walk from the bridge of San Martin to the Alcantara bridge is a fantastic experience. From here we can see the works of man integrated into nature and sometimes it is not easy to identify where nature ends and where the hand of man begins. This is the perfect spot to enjoy Toledo a World Heritage Site .

Updated by Luis