Unless you hate visiting religious sites, it's worth a stop at the cathedral if you visit Toledo…read more It is astonishingly beautiful, and considered by many to be the finest example of gothic architecture in Spain. There are many gems to be found here--literally and figuratively. Visit the choir and check out the scenes carved into the backs of the seats. The chapter house has several frescoes. The cloister is a nice place to simply wander. There's an illuminated manuscript which is beautiful work. In the Chapel of the Treasure is the great monstrance, a 10 foot tall object that I believe was made of silver but has since been gilded in full. It's carved with hundreds of statuettes and figurines of angels, saints, bells, and so on; columns and lacework and more. It lives nowadays behind a protective bulletproof glass, but is still put in use for feast days or papal processions. I spent a couple of hours here and really enjoyed my visit. Even for those of us not particularly religiously inclined there is so much to see with the artwork in the frescoes and illuminated text, the carvings and the architecture. There's so much history on site, given it's nearly 800 years old. Monarchs of several kingdoms chose the Cathedral as their resting place. Tickets are inexpensive. It's worth the visit.

After deciding to make a day trip to Toledo, seeing the Cathedral was top of my list of things to…read moredo. This church was truly impressive. The sheer size was awe-inspiring, but reading through the history was equally awe-inducing. There were small chapels dedicated to different saints along the whole outside walls; unfortunately, you couldn't go in to any at the time we visited. You could also go though an attached museum and go through the crypt in the basement. My favorite area was the choir "loft" in the center of the sanctuary, surrounded by the organ pipes. I can only imagine the sound when those are played. Overall, I would give yourself at least an hour of time here, if not a little longer.

Alcázar de Toledo is an excellent museum and absolutely worth visiting. Entry was only 5 euros and…read morethey have a basic security check where selfie sticks and drones are not allowed. They also provide lockers to store your items which makes walking around much more comfortable. No one really spoke English during our visit, but everyone was very helpful and made the experience easy. All of the exhibits were interesting and well maintained, and there is even a listening tour available in both English and Spanish which helps you understand the history behind what you are seeing. The third floor is the highest point in Toledo and offers incredible views of the city. It is definitely a highlight of the visit and a great spot for pictures. Overall, I would recommend this museum if you are visiting Toledo and have about two hours to look around. It is a well curated and memorable experience.

Toledo's massive Alcázar, one of the city's most magnificent buildings, is an imposing citadel that…read moresits atop one of the city's most historic sites. The Romans built the first palace here in the 3rd Century, and its ancient foundations can been seen in the massive foyer of the military museum that now calls the Alcázar home. Those foundations, now displayed as part of one of the largest archeological excavations in Spain, are the most interesting part of the massive complex, much of which was reconstructed following the palace's destruction in the 1930s, after a two-month siege by Franco's Nationalist forces. The Alcázar's fascinating role in the Spanish Civil War (it's basically Spain's version of the Alamo) isn't given the attention it deserves in the present museum, which focuses on Spain's military history from the Visigoths to World War II. The exhibits are interesting (particularly the collection of medieval armor and swords), but they seem random and disconnected, and the lack of detail on the history of the palace itself feels like a missed opportunity. Worth maybe an hour of your time, unless you're a military history buff, in which case it's probably worth two.

Gayle and I came here near the end of our day in Toledo. As with any place here, directions are not…read morelinear and finding a sought after location is sometimes confusing. For example, the Museo-Hospital de Santa Cruz is literally right across the street from the Alcazar, but at first you wouldn't know it. Admission is Free. This old hospital, now turned into a museum with temporary exhibitions, was built in XVI century. The museum displays a collection of paintings by El Greco, Goya, Ribera, Lucas Jordán, Carducho and other artists from Toledo along with valuable objects like ivory crucifix, Belgian wall-hangings, antique furniture, gold, and silver work. The archaeological exhibits include the skull of a mammoth and artifacts from the Roman, Visigoth, Arabic and Mmudejar periods. There's an Industrial Arts section where you can see examples of popular culture and local crafts. The most striking features of this plateresque building are its entrance, the elegant courtyard, the grand staircase and the Mudejar and Renaissance. Yet, like last year's visit to the Tile Museum in Lisbon, this place has an unfinished feel to it and with a lot of empty space and lack of cohesion in-between. Reasons could range from a confused state of renovation to budgetary and political issues. However, the individual parts are definitely worth a look (and study). There's also the cool Monastery next door (not open), of which we walked past on our way back down to the Train Station.

Glad I had the chance to stop. I toured the first floor and then out to cloister after I thought…read morethat was it but you go up to level 2 and there are special exhibits, photography and abstract art when I visited. Such a contrast to the first level where there are paintings, wooden trunks and money boxes, pennants that were carried into battle or hung out to identify a leader, a beautiful gold and emerald crown and other neat treasures from the past 800 years. This is a good stop.

The museum is part of the an annex of the Sinagoga del Transito. This was once the monastery for…read morethe Knights of Calatrava, after the synagogue was taken by the Catholics. It's a relatively young museum, not even 50 years old. Its focus is the history of the Jewish people in the Iberian peninsula (the Sephardim), and Jewish cultural history within Spain in particular. It explains the origin of some of the oldest traditions in Judaism. Their arrival on the Iberian peninsula from their earliest arrival through their expulsion at the close of the 15th century. It's an interesting glimpse into a history with which I'm unfamiliar and it was fascinating to learn through some small exhibits that were impactful.

Not to be confused with the oldest synagogie (1350) just 200 meters away, this museum is well worth…read morethe low admission price to learn about Spanish Jewish migration and history. Closes early. No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

Quite a collection of artifacts, contraptions and renderings for new devices. The inquisition had a…read morelot of deranged minds! It can be grotesque but in a way these people were surprisingly creative.

Interesting items and history. Some may be accurate as well because I've heard or read about some…read moreof these devices in the past. I expected more exhibits though for 5,50euros, but maybe I'm just being greedy. This place should be included into the city tour's map instead of the Brujeria. At least some of these exhibitions are historically correct.

Not worth it, at 5,50€ per person. I was hoping for more historical artifacts but much if it is…read morefake. Descriptions are well-written but too long and elaborate.

First off, I'm into dark stuff and the macabre. And for 5,50euros, I didn't expect much but a bit…read moreof entertainment. Some of the exhibits were just off the wall kind of stuff. (I posted pics). There were some weird but interesting things on the narration. Who knows if it's accurate. The owner needs to put it for 2,50euros due to the content if this exhibition. But it's a business. It's even on the city tour's map but surprisingly not on Yelp until today. I don't recommend spending money on this though. Next!

We got the basic manchego tasting menu which included a glass of wine…read more Each of the wines are amazing - we got white, red, and rosé. The rosé was not sweet at all and they were all super smooth! The cheese with the olive oil and pepper jams were divine - we had to buy some to take home. The museum was lovely as well. The overall experience was great. Our server explained everything very well, was super friendly, and added to the overall comfortable ambience.

So...I may be biased because I LOVE cheese, but this place is such a gem. The owners provide the…read moretastings and give you a thorough history of each cheese and wine pairing. The "museum" is small but sufficient. I mean, you come to try the cheese not see the museum, right? This is a MUST STOP if you're in the area!