Toledo: The Perfect Day Trip

Nathan and I went to Toledo for the day on Saturday, and had a great time! It is such a fun city to explore outside of Madrid, (only about 40 miles south, one hour by bus) and a great little day trip.

Toledo is an ancient, imperial city that was used to be the capital of Spain until 1561, when King Philip II of Spain moved the country’s capital to Madrid. It is a really beautiful walled city on a hill surrounded by a river and the Spanish countryside. It is also known as “the city of three cultures” since it was once ruled by the Romans, Arabs, and then Catholics. We could still see the remains of each culture as we wandered the city and noticed the Roman style bridge, the Arab style Alcazar (fortress) and city walls, and the Catholic Cathedral.

While we had a few sights we wanted to see and tour (like the Cathedral, Alcazar, and Army Museum), we spent most of the day wandering the city. There are so many little winding streets! All the houses have cute little doors and windows overflowing with succulents, and the houses make the streets seem like little alleyways. Some streets/alleys are even so small I could touch the houses on either side!

As we were wandering, we ran into a huge crowd of people, and we decided to stick around to see what they were waiting for. Luckily for us, in Toledo, the Spanish people were still celebrating Columbus day, or Dia de la Hispanidad (as it is known in Spain) so we were able to watch a traditional military parade/processional. It was really cool to be surrounded by Spaniards who were cheering like crazy for their country and to see all the military officers in uniform. It definitely was an experience I will remember forever, and I’m happy we wandered upon it!

After the parade, we decided to be extra touristy, had some paella and sangria for lunch, and then decided to hit up the shops. Toledo is known for two really unique souvenirs, swords, Damascene ware.

Basically everywhere you look, there are shops selling huge swords, daggers, machetes, and full medieval suits of armor. I would say it's impossible to miss seeing a sword when you visit Toledo. Since Toledo was once an imperial city of great significance, they began to manufacture very powerful and sharp steel swords made from special “Toledo Steel” for protection. The great Roman military general Hannibal was the first to bring these swords into the Roman Army, and soon they became the source of weaponry for the Romans. The swords from Toledo Steel were known as the as the strongest and most terrible swords in the ancient world. It is amazing to admire all the different types of swords and armor in the little shops around Toledo, and really cool to know they have been made there for thousands of years!

In addition to the swords, it’s also impossible to miss all the glittering gold plates, chess sets, necklaces, earrings and more that is the work of Damascene ware. The art of Damascene ware was brought to Toledo by the Arabs. Basically, it is a craftsman covers something like a box, or plate, or pendant in black steel and carefully lays 24-carat gold left over it. Then, he hand etches and pounds the gold into a floral or other intricate design. There are many grand displays of Damascene ware in the shops of Toledo, and it is amazing to think all the works were pounded by hand! I bought I clasp bracelet with a beautiful flower made of gold on it. It will be a fun souvenir to remember my time in Toledo.

While we ended up not touring many historical buildings on our trip to Toledo (we went to the museum and home of the painter El Greco) we enjoyed seeing all the little things that make the city so magical. It was a beautiful, sunny day to walk along by the river, enjoy the nature surrounding the city, view the Arab Alcazar, and get lost in the winding streets. Lucky for us, Toledo is just a short trip away from Madrid, so we will be back to tour the Cathedral and go to the Army Museum!

Travel Tip!

While there are lots of tourist busses that take you directly to Toledo for as much as 25€ a person, you can travel to Toledo for free! If you have an abono metro card (sorry all you over 26ers), there is a bus where you can use your metro card and not pay any extra. You don’t need to buy a ticket! Just take the metro to Plaza Eliptica bus station, and go to the gate for Toledo (usually D7). The bus leaves every 30 minutes, or once it gets filled up. There are usually a lot of people there, so I would try to arrive 15 minutes early. Skip the line of people buying tickets and get in line for the bus. I repeat, you do not need a separate ticket, just your metro card. We were the last two people on the bus because we didn’t have to wait in line to buy a ticket!