Toledo

Nickname(s):

"La Ciudad Imperial"

Demonym(s):

-

Founded:

5th C. BC.

Democracy:

Developed:

European Union:

Schengen:

Euro:

National Capital:

RegionalState Capital:

Population (City):

85 000

Population (Urban):

-

Population (Metro):

-

Population Density (km2):

360

Population Density (mi2):

931

Former Capital of Spain

Language:

Spanish

Currency:

Euro

Avg. Summertime High:

35 °C

95 °F

Avg. Summertime Low:

19 °C

66 °F

Warmest Month:

July

Coldest Month:

January

Avg. Wintertime High:

12 °C

53 °F

Avg. Wintertime Low:

1 °C

34 °F

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The former Capital of Castille (Spain). Toledo has a lot of history to offer its visitors. The narrow alleys of the town are a sight on their own to explore, and wherever you go you always find something to look at and be amazed of.

Kingdom of Spain | Reino de España

Spain

English

España

Spanish

Region:

Southwestern Europe

Area:

505 990 km2

Ranked 51 out of 195

Population:

Population:

47 451 000

Ranked 30 out of 235

Urbanization:

81 %

Ranked 43 out of 194

Capital:

Madrid

Population: 6 669 000

Largest City:

Madrid

Population: 6 669 000

Major Cities:

Madrid
Barcelona
Valencia
Seville
Málaga

Economy & Development:

Human Development Index:

Very High

Ranked 25 out of 189

Inequality-Adjusted HDI:

High

Ranked 34 out of 189

GDP (PPP) Per Capita:

46 413

Ranked 40 out of 225

Democracy & Freedom:

Democracy Index:

Flawed Democracy

Ranked 24 out of 167

Freedom House:

Free

90 points out of 100 possible

Press Freedom:

Satisfactory

Ranked 32 out of 180

Economic Freedom:

Most Free

Ranked 36 out of 162

National Identity:

Independence Since:

1479

Independence From:

Castile

National Day:

12th of October

What Is Celebrated On The National Day:

The national day of Spain, on the 12th of October every year, is a day where the history and achievements of Spain are celebrated. The date is the date when Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492 and the celebrations do focus on the Spanish heritage around the world, and especially in the Americas.

Facts & Codes:

Driving Side:

Right

-

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer: UTC +2 (CEST)

Country Calling Code:

+ 34

-

Country Code:

ES

ISO 3166

Autonomous Communities of Spain | Comunidad Autónoma

Castilla–La Mancha

English / Spanish

Region:

Central Spain

Area:

79 463 km2

Ranked 3 out of 19

Population:

Population:

2 041 000

Ranked 9 out of 19

Population Share:

4 %

Of National Population

Capital:

Toledo

Population: 85 000

Largest City:

Albacete

Population: 173 000

Major Cities:

Albacete
Guadalajara
Toledo
Talavera de la Reina
Ciudad Real

Information:

GDP Per Capita::

-

-

Climate:

Cold Semi-Arid Climate

Köppen: BSk

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer: UTC +2 (CEST)

English:

Toledo

Spanish (Local):

Toledo

French:

Tolède

Arabic:

طليطلة

Tulaytila

Swedish:

Toledo

Flag of Toledo
Coat of Arms

Meaning of the Name:

-

Former Names:

-

Nicknames:

La Ciudad Imperial (Spanish: The Imperial City)
Ciudad de las Tres Culturas (Spanish: City of the Three Cultures)

Demonym(s):

-

Alcázar de Toledo

Historic Fortification

The Alleys of Toledo

Explore The Streets of Old Town

Toledo Cathedral

Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo

Aeropuerto Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas

IATA Code:

MAD

ICAO Code:

LEMD

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

80 km / 50 mi (NE)

Located In:

Barajas, Madrid

Named After:

Former Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, as well as the location of the airport (Barajas).

Information:

The sixth-busiest airport in Europe and a major gateway for traffic to and from South America.

Transfer To/From:

Take the commuter train to Atocha Station, line C1. You can buy tickets to Toledo at Atocha Station and if you match the trains well you can be in Toledo in less than one and a half hours. To buy tickets at the station go to the Tropical Garden and the counters there. Yes, they have a botanical garden inside the train station! That alone can be worth checking out. Keep in mind that when you arrive at Toledo Station you are outside of the center and will have to walk for about ten minutes to get into town.

Underground Metro

Tram / Light Rail

Elevated Rapid Transit

Walkability

Public Transportation:

You won't need any public transport in Toledo. There are no buses that cover the narrow streets of Old Town, where you will spend most of the time. The only time you might need to use public transport is when getting from the train station to the actual town. I strongly recommend walking, as you will have great views of the city during that time. If you don't want to walk it's better to just take a taxi, there were several to choose from just outside of the station.

Walkability:

The only and best way to explore Toledo is on foot. Good thing is that the town is small in area. It doesn't take long to walk from one end to another of the Old Town. If you want to explore a little bit outside of the Old Town it's slightly longer distances, and be aware that the town is not flat. There's a considerate height difference throughout the town.

Accessibility:

The streets are often built with cobblestone, and they were slippery when dry. The town is built over a hill and almost every street has a gradient.

Currency:

Euro

Code:

EUR

Subunit:

Cent

Symbol:

Cash Or Credit:

I had ten Euros in my wallet when I arrived in Madrid, and it was still there, untouched when I left. It was possible to pay with a card everywhere I went, and it was especially encouraged to use touchless solutions. However, if you want to use cash that was also possible everywhere. In Spain, it is easy to use whichever way to pay that you prefer.

Good To Know:

-

Local Language:

Spanish

Language Family:

Romance (Indo-European)

Writing System:

Latin Alphabet

What About English?

You will have a hard time communicating in this part of Spain if you only speak English. Very few can speak any English at all, not even in tourist locations. Toledo was slightly better than Madrid, but I still found it to be worse than anticipated.

A cat on the streets of Toledo

Architecture and streets are the main things you will photograph and look at in Toledo, and you will do that a lot! Every street and alley has a history and is worth checking out. You could wander for hours without aim and just find new things that are worth taking photos of. However, there are almost no locals in the Old Town. It's a typical tourist area, so there's no street life to photograph.

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Alcázar of Toledo

The Alcázar of Toledo, the town's old fortification and highest point.

Calle de la Union

Calle de la Union (Union Street).

Iglesia de San Ildefonso

Iglesia de San Ildefonso (Church of San Idelfonso). The construction of this church took more than 100 years, beginning in 1629.

Alley in Toledo

An alley near Plaza del Cardenal Siliceo in the North-Eastern part of Old Town.

Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes

Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes (Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes).

Calle de Santo Tome

Calle de Santo Tomé in the center of Old Toledo.

Plaza de Zocodover

Plaza de Zocodover will likely be one of the first places you encounter in Toledo.

Street in Toledo

Cobblestones, stone houses, and narrow streets that do not follow a grid. A very typical sight in Toledo.

Street in Toledo

One of the best things to do in Toledo is to just get lost in the maze of streets and wander around.

Iglesia de San Miguel

The tower of Iglesia de San Miguel (Church of San Miguel) is in the center of the picture, with Toledo Cathedral visible to the left.

Toledo Cathedral

The Cathedral of Toledo is one of just three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain.

Iglesia San Juan Bautista

Iglesia San Juan Bautista and a skyline view of the parts of Toledo that are outside of the city walls and not part of the Old Town.

The New Bisagra Gate

Puerta de Bisagra Nueva (The New Bisagra Gate) and the city walls.

Skyline

The picture is taken from the Old Town of Toledo and shows the New Bisagra Gate and parts of the town that is not part of the Old Town.

Old Town of Toledo

Puente de Alcántara (Alcantara Bridge) and Alcázar de Toledo.