Toledo, Spain, often called the “City of the Three Cultures,” is a historic city in central Spain, located about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Madrid. Since we flew into Madrid for our roadtrip around south-west Spain, this was a nice lunch stop on our way south the first day of our trip. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous for its rich history, stunning architecture, and cultural diversity. 

Toledo was an important city during Roman times and later became a prominent Visigothic capital in the 6th century. During the Middle Ages, it became a melting pot of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures, coexisting and contributing to its architectural and intellectual wealth.  as the capital of Spain until 1561 when Philip II moved the court to Madrid.

Most historic Spanish city centres does not allow tourists in cars into their city centre, so it is wise to find a good parking outside the city walls when you plan your visit. We ended up parking here, and this led us over a bridge and remarkable city wall entrances. There were also escalators availiable to take tourists from river level to city centre level. 

We started our short stop with lunch at a very local restaurant Yoguis, the menu of the day was excellent and boosted our energy. 

We spent a few hours just walking around and taking in the atmosphere and history of the city. Workers were hanging up large canvases over the streets to shade pedestrians from the summer that was just around the corner. Some shopping was done and when we felt we had to move on, we slowly walked back to the car in the heat that already in May was quite enough for us vikings.