The tight city streets give it a nice character. It almost feels like a North African city. Every…read morealley way seems to have a different surprise so it is worth just walking around for some time.

4.5 stars and rounded up. A UNESCO world heritage site, one…read moreof the official residences of the Spanish monarchy, this location started as a hunting lodge in the 12th century then came into use for the royal household in the 16th century, with major constructions instigated by Phillip II and V, Ferdinand VI and Charles III. Today the palace rooms are open to the public as well as a several rooms at the entrance which chronicle the history, design and functional usage shifts of the palace. Compared to other royal residences, the number of viewable rooms are fewer though no less impressive. Highlights are the Salón Árab with its intricate Moorish-inspired carved and painted ceiling and walls, the Gabinete de Porcelana (Porcelain room) covered floor to ceiling with Roccoco chinoiserie motifs of birds, flowers, and Oriental-themed figurines strongly influenced by 18th century Romantic decorative trends. Personally I enjoyed seeing the more casual billiards room and imagining the games played hundreds of years ago. Also cool to see the wedding dresses worn by Spanish queens and princesses in the past century. The gardens surrounding the palace are fairly expansive and pleasant to walk around, you could easily spend an hour here. There are some fountains and manicured shrubbery, and scenic views along the Tagus River that borders the grounds. There's also a portion of the garden with many peacocks. Tickets are €9 to self tour the palace rooms. Gardens are free. Like many museums and palaces in Europe, unless you use the lockers (€1 coin operated, returned upon unlocking), they make you carry any larger bags or backpacks on your front rather than on your back. Museum store and bathrooms are available. Plan to spend ~2.5-3 hours here. There are several nearby restaurants with views of the river or more within a 15-20 minute walk closer to downtown.

Enchanting! I have yet to go inside yet have explored acres of the Queen's garden (jardine) and the…read morePrince's garden (Jardine del Principe). Many branches and varieties of trees and plants! Something different on every turn: statues or fountains!

Chose this place at the last minute. A really great find. Was staying at the nearby Paradores de…read moreTurismo de Cuenca and walked the footbridge to this little Colgadas. Not too busy on the night we came. Great service. Great house wine and drinks. First seating is a little late at 9:00pm for this American but it was worth it. In-laws split the lamb entree and loved it although they commented there was a little too much fat on the lamb. The kids, Thing 1 and Thing 2, split the duck and wanted more. Wife got the salmon salad, a kind of smoked salmon / cream cheese mixture over lettuce that sounds weird but was actually very good. I got the filet mid-rare with scalloped potatoes and sautéed veggies with a manchego cheese sauce...maybe a bit too rare but very good! Would definitely come back to this place. Great photo opps outside the front door and around the corner overlooking the canyon as well as on the foot bridge. Beautiful place and great food.

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.

Had a pleasant & very hot day together here at the valley of the fallen,…read moreThis place is very historical and the upside is that if you love history as much as we do you will definitely want to visit, the downside is.. a lot of walking.

My friend suggested this day trip from Madrid and it did not disappoint. Must go to the cathedral…read moreand marvel at how high the ceilings go - remember this is built in a freaking mountain so the engineering that needed to happen is beyond impressive. The cathedral itself had a very somber yet almost modern feel, probably due to the stone walls and floors. Probably the most memorable cathedral I have ever seen.

Another visit that was high on the list of things to do in Madrid…read more I bought passes that came with an English guide. I enjoyed having that, but you could easily come through on your own without a guide and be fine. Our guided tour was about 90 minutes, but you could also stay as long after as you desired. We ended up staying about another hour to catch some of the things the tour didn't stop at. Note that you cannot take photos inside. It also seems to get pretty busy early, so it might be a good idea to go fairly early or closer to closing. Would highly recommend the Prado.

I know the Prado is acclaimed as one of the world's best museums, and its global reputation rests…read moreon the depth of classic European paintings from the 12th to the 19th century. No argument about that, but unlike the Louvre, it doesn't offer the breadth of art one would expect from such a vaunted museum. The curators apparently have no interest in expanding their collection because it engenders unmanageable foot traffic. That also explains why photography is prohibited in the galleries. I ended up buying postcards to have a visual remembrance of my favorite masterpieces collected by centuries of Spanish royalty. Consequently, the Spanish masters are represented by familiar masterworks like Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) by Diego Velázquez (Photo 4), as well as The Naked Maja and The Family of Carlos IV (Photo 7), both by Francisco de Goya. Other European masterworks are represented like the impressive Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch (Photo 6) and The Judgment of Paris by Peter Paul Rubens. Beyond this scope, there are intriguing artifacts to peruse like the Leoni Renaissance Sculptures (Photo 3). Truth be told, you need to add the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Museo Reina Sofía to get a more complete picture of Madrid's artful treasures. RELATED - Exploring Madrid? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/ElhwJIbGWS