This baroque style church is located in the historic center of Toledo and is the second largest…read moretemple in the city. It was built on the birthplace of San IIdefonso..the patron Saint of Toledo in the 17th century. The church took over a 100 years to complete. You will easily spend an hour or more touring the church and if you climb up the twin towers you will be rewarded with a gorgeous view of the city.

Another great church in a city filled with churches and second only in majesty to the cathedral…read more Like other churches it has a large and colorful altarpiece located at the end of the main hall under a soaring ceiling. We stopped in on a Sunday in Mid-April with our guide and had the unexpected pleasure of learning that it was free to enter on this day instead of the usual 2€. It's a magnificent church but it's best feature is the opportunity to climb the 131 steps to the top of the towers to take in the views of the cathedral and surrounding countryside. It wasn't too busy when we were there so we had no wait to climb the stair and there were only 3 other people up top. The space is limited-really only room enough for single-file but since no one was behind, we could take our time with pictures and the view. It's an easy climb if you take your time and definitely worth a stop during your visit to Toledo.

If you only have time to knock out a few of Toledo's major attractions, you must at least stop on…read moreby to Iglesia de los Jesuitas for the VIEW! It's not surprise to locals and tourists that this viewpoint is popular. As you walk through this labyrinth they call a town, you'll find solace in a view that lets you look over the cityscape, cathedrals, and monuments that make Toledo what it is today. Hopefully your trip up here is during a sunny day! A blue sky would make the experience even better. Unfortunately, the view is not very access-friendly, so folks that require some assistance may find it difficult to find their way to the top. However, the church itself is beautiful and a marvel in Toledo.

Note: there are two listings of the same church one with its Spanish name and the other with its…read moreEnglish name- "Church of the Jesuits" Another great church in a city filled with churches and second only in majesty to the cathedral. Like other churches it has a large and colorful altarpiece located at the end of the main hall under a soaring ceiling. We stopped in on a Sunday in Mid-April with our guide and had the unexpected pleasure of learning that it was free to enter on this day instead of the usual 2€. It's a magnificent church but it's best feature is the opportunity to climb the 131 steps to the top of the towers to take in the views of the cathedral and surrounding countryside. It wasn't too busy when we were there so we had no wait to climb the stair and there were only 3 other people up top. The space is limited-really only room enough for single-file but since no one was behind, we could take our time with pictures and the view. It's an easy climb if you take your time and definitely worth a stop during your visit to Toledo.

Euro 4 for entry to see one of the master works. I can now say I saw the famous El Greco...read more

Obviously I am not an art afficionado like some of the reviewers because for the price of admission…read moreI was a bit underwhelmed by the experience. The church itself is bland compared to most of the crazy ornate churches in Spain. The El Greco painting was interesting but it's significance was lost on me. Guess I better enroll in an art history class when I return home...

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.

This beautiful church was completed in 1159 and dedicated to St. Savior. There was a fire in the 15…read morecentury that brought about a renovation. There is access to the ruins of a mosque that the church was built on top of. The backyard was excavated and revealed graves and more. The historical content is interesting and a must see if you are visiting the area. It's small and will only take about 30 minutes to view everything.

This Church of El Salvador is standing above a mosque from the 9th century. A wall was left…read morestanding & excavations discovered the remains of Roman & Visigoth civilizations. Scenes of Christ & a minaret can be see .

Well, no signs in English, so it was hard to know exactly what was going on, but I believe that…read morethis church with Islamic-style architecture also serves as a museum for the Visigoth culture that predated the Muslim invasion from North Africa back in the 9th century or thereabouts. If you can tolerate the pigeon stank, there is a nice little tower to climb for a panoramic view of Toledo. Being up at the top of the tower by ourselves reminded us of the climatic scene from Vertigo, except this tower was wrapped in a sort of chicken wire cage to protect against any rapid gravity-powered descents. (To be realistic, the chicken wire was probably intended mostly to keep the pigeons out, but it also offered some mild sense of protection.)

This beautiful synagogue in the heart of historic Toledo is an important memorial to the Spanish…read moreExpulsion of the Jewish people under Ferdinand & Isabella in 1492 (it's hard to miss the irony that the synagogue sits on a street named after the Catholic Monarchs who signed the expulsion decree). Also known as the Synagogue of Samuel ha-Levi, the building is now also the city's Sephardic Museum, with a wide-ranging collection of Jewish artifacts that help tell the tragic, yet hopeful, story of Spain's Jews. The synagogue itself dates back to the 1350s, and is in pristine condition following a series of restorations in the 1800s and early 1900s. It's Islamic-inspired architecture is a reminder of the rich tapestry of cultures on which Spain is founded, before a long crusade by the Catholic Church to drive Jews, Muslims and Protestants from the Iberian Peninsula. Visitors to the Synagogue enter through it's stunning Prayer Hall, with its vaulted, wooden Mudéjar ceiling and gorgeous Torah Ark, which dominates the eastern wall. Much of the rest of the building contains the museum exhibits, which includes relics dating back more than 2,000 years. An outdoor courtyard contains gravestones from Toledo's Jewish cemetery, and the tour finishes in a gallery over the Prayer Hall that was originally reserved for women, who were prohibited from worshiping with men during services. A fascinating look into Spain's Jewish history and culture, the Sinagoga del Tránsito is well worth at least an hour of your time if visiting Toledo.

One of the beauties of Toledo is the convergence of the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish cultures in…read morethe churches, mosques, and synagogues respectively. That is why I decided to make my way to the Spanish Synagogue. There was some construction though, so I wasn't able to see everything as you may notice from the pictures in here. There is a guide via QR code, but it's a bit tough to coordinate reading while looking at the various artifacts. I found it better reading after the fact. Still pretty cool to learn about the history of the Jewish population in Toledo. This one is also 3 EUR to visit, so definitely worth the cost. The courtyward is fairly nice and peaceful as well.

This synagogue is located in what was once the Jewish quarter of the city, one of the three still…read moreextant. Whilst I believe the precise date of the building is disputed, it's been surmised that the building is late 12th/early 13th century based upon the architectural style. As is familiar in this area, the Catholic Church took possession of the synagogue and converted it in the Middle Ages. More recently the Jewish community requested it be relinquished to them as a symbolic gesture, but that request was not granted. There are no religious services held here at present; it functions as a museum. I thought the name was related to the large white pillars inside, but apparently it's a reference to a statue of Mary that was once housed here. This site isn't very large. However, I did find it worth the inexpensive entrance fee to pay a visit. You might be surprised to learn it's the third most visited site in the city! It's a very plain space, by today's standards. I'm so curious how the worship services may have unfolded both as a synagogue and a Catholic church. Though I'm more familiar with the christian faith, most churches don't have these kind of pillars that might obscure sight lines, but I also know that more ancient worship spaces would not have been configured or used in the same way. It's fascinating. The synagogue has been here for centuries, and as such has been witness to many events and many people. It's a contemplative, quiet place with a nice walled-in interior courtyard. Look all around--the tile work in the synagogue is really beautiful.

The Synagogue of Santa Maria La Blanca was built in 1180. (Saint Mary the White) There is an…read moreinscription on a beam that confirms the date. It has five naves separated by pillars supporting horseshoe arches. It is one of three preserved synagogues constructed y Jews in a Moorish style under the rule of the Christian Kingdom of Castile. It was turned into a church in either 1495 or 1411 and is now owned by and maintained by the Catholic Church.