Toledo is a city with a very rich cultural heritage, together with Córdoba it is known as “the City of the three cultures” due to the peaceful coexistence maintained by Jews, Muslims and Christians for centuries, it is also known as “the imperial city” for having been the seat of the main court of Charles V.
The city of the Tagus is perfect for a weekend getaway. If you don't want to complicate your life and prefer a local guide to take you through the most important places, we recommend the Free Tour Toledo Essentials.
Here we are going to leave you a list of things to see and do for free in Toledo.
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Tour the Cathedral of Toledo
It is a must-see in Toledo, the Cathedral of Santa María It is unique, it was named Primate Cathedral in Spain, built in 1227 on the foundations of a Visigothic cathedral, it is made up of 5 naves, supported by 88 columns and 72 vaults.
The Main Chapel is the place with the highest concentration of works of art, we highlight the tomb of Cardinal Mendoza attributed to the sculptor Antonio Sansovino. It is also interesting that you visit the Mozarabic chapel and the New Kings chapel.
You can visit the Cathedral any day of the week, but it won't be as cheap as on Sundays, which costs 2.5 euros to enter.
Visit the Alcázar for free
It is one of the most emblematic buildings of the city, its first construction was produced in the 2nd century with the intention of become a Roman palace. The construction that is preserved today had the objective of being the residence of kings, although it never fulfilled its purpose. Like the Cathedral, the best day to visit the Alcázar is on Sunday since admission is free.
Right next door is the Zocodover square, the most important in the city, it was an old Arab market and is currently the nerve center of the city so you can take advantage of your visit the fortress to stop by there.
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Army Museum
Inside the fortress is the army museum, the entrance costs 5 euros, but if you go on Sunday it will be free.
The museum has a wide collection, among the large number of pieces, white and firearms, artillery, flags, uniforms, miniatures, decorations, models and models, ethnographic objects stand out. You can also see the collections of the Museo Romero Ortiz and the Casa Ducal de Medinaceli.
Enjoy the views from the Library of Castilla-La Mancha
You cannot leave the Alcázar without visiting its famous library, although it is easier if you enter through the door parallel to the military museum. Admission is free.
Once inside you can enjoy the impressive views of the cathedral and Toledo. It is a perfect place to take the best pictures of your trip.
We also recommend a coffee in one of its towers where you will find a very peculiar bar.
El Greco Museum
The visit is well worth it since it is the only museum in Spain dedicated to the painter, it is a house-museum with recreations and settings of the time. The building where the museum is located belonged to the Duchess of Arjona, El Greco lived in a building located opposite known as the Casas del Marqués de Villena.
Although entering the El Greco museum is usually quite cheap, admission on Saturday afternoons is free, after 2:00 p.m. Mondays is closed ado
Built in the 1st century, being one of the largest in the entire peninsula, it is estimated that at least half of the structure remains unexcavated , its capacity was around 15,000 or 30,000 spectators. Its dimensions were 422 meters long by about 112 meters wide.
Admission is free, it is located in a park, Parque Escolar, in the north of the city, although you must bear in mind that the park closes at night.
Unknown assets of the consortium
The unknown assets of Toledo are made up of a series of properties that have been recovered by the Toledo Consortium and that until 2014 were hidden. There are up to 17 monuments that can be visited for free with the routes offered by the consortium, including: The Roman Baths of the Plaza de Amador de los Ríos (headquarters of the Consortium's Cultural Resources Management Center of Toledo), the Hercules Caves, the House of the Jew, the Church-Mosque of El Salvador, the Islamic basements of Cardinal Cisneros, the Church of San Sebastián, and the Baños del Ángel.
If you go in a group, you should schedule your visit in advance. Ideally, you should call to set up a time.
Route through the Churches and see The Burial of Count Orgaz by El Greco
We advise you to visit all the churches that are open. Although there are many of them that are closed to the public, if your visit coincides with a date designated as Easter, you will be lucky to be able to visit them.Another option is to visit those that are open to the public, but you have to take into account that you will have to pay a few euros. Here we leave you the rates:
Church of Sto. Tome/ Burial of the Lord of Orgaz : €3
Synagogue of Sta. María la Blanca: €3
San Juan de los Reyes : €3
Cristo de la Luz Mosque : €3
Church of El Salvador : €3
Santa Cruz Museum : €6 (joint ticket with San Román).
Church of San Román/Museum of Visigothic Culture : €6 (joint ticket with the Museum of Santa Cruz).
Hospital de San Juan Bautista/ Tavera : €6 (church, sacristy and museums).
In the church of Santo Tomé is one of the most famous paintings by El Greco, The Burial of Count Orgaz, a painting 5x4 meters high. The church was built on the site of an 11th century mosque. Inside, in addition to the famous painting, you will find two Baroque altarpieces, one Plateresque and a baptismal font.
Walk through the Jewish quarter and the Tránsito Synagogue
The Jewish quarter of Toledo It constitutes 10% of the city, it is an authentic city within Toledo. Divided in turn into three different neighborhoods, corresponding to the different stages of its expansion. Taking a walk through this labyrinthine city and enjoying its streets, buildings and signs is an experience that you will love.
The Synagogue of Transit is the only synagogue built in the Kingdom of Castile in the 14th century, with stupendous plasterwork in the prayer room, with texts in Arabic and Hebrew and heraldic motifs from the Crown of Castile. In the prayer room today there are cultural events, such as small concerts and the adjoining rooms host the National Museum of Hispanic-Jewish and Sephardic Art. The entrance costs 3 euros, but if you go on Saturday afternoons or Sunday mornings it is free.
The best places to take a breather: Vistas romantics to the Tagus and park of the three cultures
To conclude your low-cost visit to Toledo we recommend that you take a walk around the outskirts of Toledo and enjoy the best views of the Tagus. The best way to access it is from one of the two bridges: San Martín or Alcántara, and walk from one to the other along the river.
If you don't have much time, we offer you the alternative of going to the Park of the Three Cultures, it is one of the largest urban gardens in Castilla La Mancha, it has almost 10 hectares of green areas. Inside you can find gardens, fountains, picnic areas, a lake and an amphitheatre.
