Toledo getaway: time for mystical ecstasy...

Madrid has one major advantage, which could almost be seen as a flaw in the eyes of the traveller in a hurry, who is nonetheless eager for a cultural reward after good and loyal efforts: there is a plethora of possible escapades around the capital. In fact, there are no fewer than six UNESCO World Heritage sites within an hour's train journey of the capital... Among these treasures is Ávila, the walled city of medieval Spain where Saint Teresa was born. Then there's Segovia and its 11th-century cazar. And then there's Alcalá de Henares, a university town founded in the 16th century on the model of The city of God imagined by Saint Augustine. Then there's Escorial and Aranjuez, the two royal residences, each more dazzling than the last... But first and foremost, there's Toledo, cradle of the Spanish monarchy and home to the three cultures of Judaism, Christianity and Islam on the Iberian Peninsula.

"Toledo is a must when you come to Madrid".says Mauricio Macarron, an art historian specialising in Madrid and the surrounding region. Situated 70 km south of the capital, the city's first impression is its foundation, a sort of natural fortress raised on a hill surrounded by water. And not just any water, as it is that of the Tagus, the river that will later bathe Lisbon. "A strategic enclave in the middle of the Castilian plain and at the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, Toledo has been inhabited for over three thousand years, making it a veritable open-air museum of Spanish history".explains the art historian.

Roman city for seven centuries, seat of the court of the Visigoth kings until the early 8th century, it was also the religious capital of Spain, the city of councils in the Middle Ages, but also a Muslim city between 711 and 1085. "It's a city where Christians, Muslims and Jews have lived side by side".says Mauricio Macarron. The Jewish quarter remained the most important in Spain for almost fifteen centuries, while Toledo, along with Seville and Zaragoza, is one of the three greatest centres of Mudéjar art. Derived from Arabic, the word was the name given to Muslims in Spain between the 11th and early 16th centuries, before they were forced to choose between conversion and exile. In architecture, the Mudéjars applied their techniques and ornamentation to Christian buildings, whether Romanesque, Gothic or Renaissance. The result everywhere: bell towers in the shape of minarets, arabesque vaults, stucco and marquetry ceilings, brick and ceramic buildings. A hybrid style, then, but one of rare elegance.

Home for religious freedom

The narrow, winding streets of Toledo are full of surprises. Here, the fabulous cloister of San Juan de Los Reyes, with its flamboyant Gothic style; there, a former synagogue that became a convent for women, the majestic Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca. Or a church that became a mosque, then a church again..."Toledo is also the city of religious exaltation, the city of great mystics such as Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross".continues Mauricio Macarron. You can feel that, as in some of the world's great shrines, from Jerusalem to Benares, something is vibrating in these walls. Perhaps the faith that has been inscribed here for centuries?

GETTING THERE

RENFE, the Spanish railway company, runs from Madrid-Atocha to Toledo in 25 minutes, every hour or two depending on the time of day. It's best to buy your ticket in advance on the Internet or at the ticket office - there are no vending machines - because the trains fill up quickly. Very, very quickly. Internet: www.renfe.com

TOLEDO TOURIST OFFICE

Puerta de Bisagra s/n Tel: +34 925220843 - Fax: +34 92 525 26 48 E-mail: infoturismotoledo@jccm.es - Internet : www.turismocastillalamancha.com

EL GRECO 2014

Palacio de Fuensalida. Plaza del Conde, 5 Tel: +34 92 533 67 25 - E-mail: elgreco@elgreco2014.com - Internet: www.elgreco2014.com

HOTEL

Hilton Buenavista Toledo Opened in 2007 in a 16th-century palace of which only a few scattered elements remain - columns, a chapel and a room with painted walls. It is said that El Greco drew up the plans for this palace outside the city centre, near the Tagus. In all, 117 rooms, including 7 suites, and a small private museum with paintings from the 14th to the 21st century. There are also two restaurants, a spa and a delightful outdoor swimming pool. Concilios de Toledo, 1 - Tel: +34 92 52 89 800 Fax: +34 92 52 89 828 - Internet: www1.hilton.com

WHAT TO BRING