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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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
Meaning of the Name:
-
Former Names:
-
Nicknames:
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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The Alcázar of Toledo, the town's old fortification and highest point.
Calle de la Union (Union Street).
Iglesia de San Ildefonso (Church of San Idelfonso). The construction of this church took more than 100 years, beginning in 1629.
An alley near Plaza del Cardenal Siliceo in the North-Eastern part of Old Town.
Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes (Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes).
Calle de Santo Tomé in the center of Old Toledo.
Plaza de Zocodover will likely be one of the first places you encounter in Toledo.
Cobblestones, stone houses, and narrow streets that do not follow a grid. A very typical sight in Toledo.
One of the best things to do in Toledo is to just get lost in the maze of streets and wander around.
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.
The Cathedral of Toledo is one of just three 13th-century High Gothic cathedrals in Spain.
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.
Puerta de Bisagra Nueva (The New Bisagra Gate) and the city walls.
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.
Puente de Alcántara (Alcantara Bridge) and Alcázar de Toledo.