Toledo

An old capital city under the protection of UNESCO. The more you travel in the city the more you fall in love with this lovely, small, historic city. The city of knights, with its medieval past, Toledo can be interpreted as one of the birthplaces of civilization of Western culture. 

                                        

It takes about 30 minutes to reach Toledo from Madrid by train. After arriving at the Toledo Train Station, you can either take a bus in front of the train station or take a cab to go to the city center. However,  you may prefer to walk to enjoy the whole city. On foot, it takes around40 minutes to reach the city but you will have the chance to see the city from the outside.

The bridge at the exit of the castle and the view behind the Alcazar hill is amazing.  The historical entrance gates and the bridge at the exit make you feel as if you are going through history as if you are dreaming those days. It is a cute, dream city. 

                                        


There is one entrance to the city. The only part which is out of the city is the Hospital buildings area just across the city entrance gates.
Don't miss the opportunity to take a rest behind the Alcatraz, next to the Naval Museum, and enjoy the perfect view on top of that hill while enjoying the sun (meaningful even in March :)).

                                    

Following Don Quichot's route will be a good guide. If you leave Alcatraz at the end of your trip, you can take the bus from there to go back to the train station. If you have time on the way to the station below the road there is a river called the Tagus. the riverside is a nice rest area too.

 
The best gift alternatives are swords, shields, knights' suits of armor. The city is one of the best places to taste Chorizo or other meat products of Spain.

                                                


The places that must be visited:
- Alcázar castle
- Roman aqueduct
- 16th-century cathedral
- San Martin Church
- San Esteban Church
- Tower of Hercules
- Casa de Los Picos
- Royal Mill Mint
- City´s medieval wall
- Alcántara’s Bridge
- Panoramic View of Toledo

Also, you can visit :

• Gate of the Hinge
• Gate of Cambrón
• Cortes de Castilla-La Mancha
• Parroquia de San Lucas
• Sun’s Gate
• Saint Tome Church
• Burial of the Count of Orgaz
• Church of Saint John of the Kings
• Synagogue of Saint Mary the White
• Museum/House of the El Greco
• Saint Martin’s Bridge
• Museo de los Concilios
• Mosque of the Christ of the Light
• Synagogue of the Transit
• Santiago (James) of Arrabal

Segovia

Roman aqueduct and the magical castle make Segovia an essential day trip city from Madrid. It takes around 30 minutes by train.

The aqueduct of Segovia was built during the time of the emperor Trajan in the1st century. The aqueduct is a marvel of Roman engineering and the one in Segovia is one of the best-preserved in all of Europe. 

It is definitely fascinating and impressive to see the wall and to touch it. Just knowing the fact that it was constructed in the 1st century and still perfectly preserved is sufficient enough to be excited. At its tallest, the aqueduct reaches a height of 28.5 meters (93.5 ft) and 823 m long.

The Cathedral

Another great attraction point, the cathedral was completed in the 16th century. It is open to the public on weekdays and weekends. Also, Alcazar is definitely worth visiting which is from the 19th century.

                                            

Don't forget that Avila which is a small historic city is on your way between Madrid and Segovia, another lovely city with a great panoramic view of the historical castle walls.

Madrid

The capital of Spain, located in the heart of the country, it is 646 meters above sea level. It is the biggest city in Spain with a population of over three million. Although it is a capital city it is far away from being a boring bureaucratic city. It won't take too much to realize the characteristics of the city with its dense culture, artistic activities, and very lively nightlife. It is more than a capital city, which includes awesome palaces and parks.

                                            

When you walk through the streets/parks/palaces such as Puerta del Sol, the commercial street Gran Vía, Prado Avenue, Paseo de la Castellana, the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), the Royal Palace, Park Retiro you will witness the history with each step.

There are almost hundreds of art centers that you can visit, such as the famous Museum Prado, The Reina Sofia, The Thyssen-Bornemisza, CaixaForum, and more...

Must be seen/done:

• Watch flamenco in Madrid.
• I don't support watching bullfights but if you are interested in this is the right place. It is still worth seeing the arena from the outside.
• visit the Rastro (Madrid's weekly flea market).
• visit Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Don't miss the below places:

• Royal Palace (An amazing palace in the center of the city).
• Plaza Mayor (Marvelous square)

                                                

                                                    

• Puerta del Sol (Madrid's most central and the best-known square. Pretty touristic and crowded so be careful to the pickpockets)

• Gran Vía is the most famous and the most central street which makes you look around when you pass through it.
• Templo de Debod. (An authentic 2nd Century BC Egyptian temple in the middle of Madrid!)
• Madrid Cathedral. (Madrid's largest and most important church.)
• Plaza de la Villa. (Incredibly historic square, home to the 15th Century Torre de Lujanes, 16th Century Casa de Cisneros, and the 17th Century Casa de la Villa.)
• Puerta de Alcalá.
• Plaza de Cibeles (Central square where Real Madrid celebrates championship wins and is home to the Bank of Spain).
• Plaza de Oriente (Beautiful square located in front of the Royal Palace).
• Puerta de Toledo
• Check inside of the biggest train station called Atocha,  there is a vivid tropical garden there.
• Walk in the Park Retiro (especially on Sunday mornings it has a different effect).
• Madrid gives the opportunity to try different tapas types. Also, you can eat in the world's oldest restaurant (Botin).
• Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Bus Tours offers to see the most important sights and monuments in 2 hours.

Madrid Metro is one of the largest and oldest metro systems in the world, which is especially remarkable considering Madrid's population of approximately 3.5 million to 6 million with the metropolitan area. You can find more information about Madrid's metro at http://www.metromadrid.es/es/index.html

                                        

There are several one-day trip options from Madrid. Segovia (90km away from Madrid) and Toledo (75km away from Madrid) are must-be-seen cities protected by UNESCO.