| Toledo, Information on Toledo Castile-La Mancha, Spain, Europe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Toledo Toledo has been made world famous due to both the highly acclaimed classical novel Don Quixote (written by Cervantes), & its historical role as a centre for the production of swords; which continues to this day. As such it's name is synonymous with tales from medieval times; especially those of arms & fortification. Indeed it was always a strategically important city highly valued by the Moors, capital of Spain under the Visigoths, & once home to the royal court of Christian Spain. Another major role of Toledo is that of the traditional centre for Catholic religion in Spain. It is also historically well known for it's religious tolerance, & had large Jewish & Muslim communities during the middle ages. All these facts combined have contributed to the city (though small) having one of the highest numbers of historical sights & attractions of any in Spain; a relative outdoor museum. This heritage (& its proximity to the nations capital) have made it one of the country's most popular city break destinations. Geography & Facts Toledo is both the capital of its province & of the autonomous community of Castille-La Mancha, it is also the religious centre of Spain. Though it has always been a relatively important Spanish city it has a low populace; standing at just over 75,000 people in 2005. It occupies a hilltop looking out across lands roughly in the centre of the peninsular, & is just 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the capital city of Madrid; to which it is connected both by road & by the Tagus river. Toledo has long been considered a national monument & it achieved UNESCO world heritage status in 1987 due to its uniqueness. Sights & attractions Toledo boasts perhaps the most concentrated selection of historical sights & attractions in Spain. It is a small city so almost all are easily accessible on foot, & the largest of which are often immediately obvious to the newly arrived visitor. Thus it's greatest attraction is the ability to wander around from cafe to restaurant whilst stumbling across it's many churches, mosques, synagogues, palaces, fortifications, squares, & gardens. One important attraction is Toledo's Cathedral. The primate Cathedral of Spain it is an imposing structure & one of the countries grandest. A detailed building inside & out it offers a mix of styles, sculpted facades, & large Gothic tower. A museum presides over a portion of the structure. Getting around Parking is a problem in the city, especially in it's centre so the best way to experience Toledo is on foot. To make things easier the vast majority of the main sights & attractions are within easy walking distance of each other. Cuisine The typical cuisine of Toledo is reminiscent of its medieval roots. It is therefore well known for it game dishes; partridge is one of the most popular & is often served with beans. Other favorites include suckling pig, roast lamb, wild boar, rabbit, & venison. These meats are prepared in many differing ways, though stews are a speciality. Also typical of the region are a variety of cheeses, as well as deserts made from marzipan & others from almonds. Shopping Toledo is not really the best place to come if you expecting any degree of variety in a shopping experience. It is after a small city & this is reflected in its retail offerings. However if you are looking to pick up a touristic trinket or two then there are plenty of craft shops open to attract visiting tourists. Ceramics feature highly, as do gold & silver decorated ornaments & trinkets. Those more keen on taking home almost any variety of sword (though blunted), will find Toledo is still possibly the best place in Europe to come. Climate Though not quite as warm as some of Spain's most southern cities, the climate in Toledo is nevertheless very warm. During the summer months (June-September) daily highs can easily reach 30°C. Though significantly cooler its winters are very mild, with frequent daily highs of 17°C. Toledo Tourist Office TEL +34 925 220843 FAX +34 925 252648 More Toledo links: - Toledo, Information on Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain, Europe
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Toledo, Information on Toledo, Castile-La Mancha, Spain, Europe. Toledo Property Sales and Rental, Hotels, Holidays, Flights, Ferries, Car Hire, and Tourist Information. |