Toledo sits on a granite ridge almost entirely encircled by the Tagus River. The view from the Mirador del Valle on the southern bank - Alcázar, Cathedral tower, and the spires of San Juan de los Reyes rising above the ridge - establishes the city before you enter it. The day coaches have departed by 19:00; if the schedule allows an overnight, take it. If not, the day trip is still excellent.
Getting There
Renfe Avant from Madrid Puerta de Atocha to Toledo: 33 minutes. Reserved-seat service - book in advance at renfe.com; post-marathon Mondays can be busy. Toledo station is 1.5 kilometres below the old city. Bus line 5 or 61 climbs to the Plaza de Zocodover in ten minutes; taxis are available outside the terminal.
The Toledo Cathedral
The Catedral Primada de España is the main event: a Gothic interior of 88 columns in five naves begun in 1226 that took 267 years to complete. El Greco's El Expolio, Goya's El Prendimiento de Cristo, a sacristy ceiling by Luca Giordano, and the extraordinary Transparente - an 18th-century baroque altarpiece by Narciso Tomé that cuts a skylight through the ambulatory vault to illuminate the Virgin from above. The interior is flat throughout.
Santa María la Blanca
The oldest surviving synagogue in Europe still standing in its original location, built in the late 12th century in Moorish architectural style: five naves separated by horseshoe arches, whitewashed plaster capitals decorated with pine cones and geometric relief. Converted to a church in 1411, deconsecrated; now a monument. Five minutes' walk from the Cathedral on flat streets. Entirely flat inside.
San Juan de los Reyes
The Franciscan monastery built by Ferdinand and Isabella to commemorate the Battle of Toro in 1476. The exterior walls are hung with the chains of Christian prisoners freed from Granada in 1492. The cloisters are the specific asset: a double Gothic arcade around a central garden, flat flagstones, heraldic decoration of the Catholic Monarchs carved on every surface.
Where to Eat
Restaurante Adolfo on Calle de la Granada: traditional Castilian cooking at a higher register. Perdiz a la toledana - partridge slowly braised in white wine and Castilian garlic - is the specific Toledo dish, not widely available elsewhere. Book in advance.
Toledo marzipan (mazapán) has been made in the city since at least the 13th century. The version sold by Santo Tomé on the Plaza de Zocodover is the standard reference - dense, sweet, made from almonds and sugar. Buy from the shop rather than the tourist stalls outside the Cathedral.
Getting Back
Avant trains return to Madrid Atocha throughout the afternoon and evening. Book the return at renfe.com at the same time as the outward journey.