Toledo

Toledo: history & character

Toledo, founded as Toletum in Roman times, was successively the capital of the Visigothic kingdom (6th-8th centuries), a Moorish cultural centre (Tulaytula, 711-1085), and the capital of Castile until the court moved to Madrid in 1561. The city has been a UNESCO open-air museum since 1986 where Christian (Gothic cathedral, Alcázar), Jewish (Tránsito and Santa María la Blanca synagogues) and Islamic (Cristo de la Luz mosque, Puerta de Bisagra gate) heritage meet. Perched on a granite outcrop encircled on three sides by the Tagus gorge, Toledo earned its 'Imperial City' nickname from Charles V who made it his capital in the 16th century. For travellers with a dog, Toledo is one of Spain's most accessible UNESCO destinations: walkable Casco Histórico in 25 min, dog-tolerant tasca culture by default, the 7 km Senda Ecológica along the Tagus, dog-friendly Mirador del Valle, and direct Avant rail link from Madrid in 33 min.