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Toledo is filled to the brim with Spanish culture and history. It's a magnificent ancient city enclave, set dramatically on a hilltop above the plains of Castilla La Mancha in central Spain, within 30 mins or so of Madrid. The streets and alleyways of Toledo are a crazily beautiful labyrinthine. The main thoroughfares - often just narrow cobbled laneways - twist and turn and fork in two. These in turn will also split, or double back and cross another lane or come to a dead end... The twisting, narrow streets are not an accident or poor city planning, but a deliberate design by Toledo's Muslim founders, who intended to disorientate any invaders.

Toledo used to be the capital of Spain, albeit a while ago (542 to 725 AD). For centuries the city was a multicultural melting pot in which Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in close proximity and interacted with respect and ease. Mosques, synagogues and Gothic cathedrals cram into its dense walled city; it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage.

The surrounding stunning countryside influenced the Mannerist painter El Greco, whose paintings are housed throughout the town and within the museum baring his name.    

Toledo’s cultural scene is thriving. It was designated Spain's Gastronomic Capital a few years ago; its numerous restaurants, many with magnificent views, highlight delicious, locally sourced foods and wines. A new wave of gastro-tapas bars are recent additions, with medieval interiors coupled with modern chic and nocturnal charm.

Rediscover the unique cultural synthesis of Toledo: "Every street, every corner, every stone has a story to tell... "