Madrid is a very popular destination among tourists thanks to the possibility not only to visit his museums, discos, bars, inspect the most interesting sights, but also to visit several cities located nearby. These are the most beautiful, interesting and unique cities of Central Spain - Toledo, Avila and Segovia. In any one you can get in 1-1.5 hours and get a lot of wonderful impressions. For an acquaintance with each of them just one day.
Toledo
The most popular of these cities is Toledo. The most convenient way to get to Toledo from Madrid is a train that departs from Atoche's station and is approximately half an hour. In Toledo, the train station is closely close to the historic part of the city, so you will not be difficult to walk before it. Buses to Toledo leave from Plaza Eliptica Metro Station. Time in the way is about an hour. Bus station in Toledo is located next to the city center.
So, what to see in Toledo in one day? In principle, you can have much time, as the main part of the attractions is concentrated in the city center, inside the fortress wall. The city is located on the rapid of the river Tahoe, and therefore his panorama, which opens from the district road, is incredibly beautiful. To see Toledo from such an angle, you can take advantage of the tourist bus or walk by walking along the bridge on the opposite bank of the river.
The walk through the historic part of the city is very saturated, as at every step you will have a masterpiece of architecture and historical monuments. This part of the city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The architectural appearance of the city imposed a rich historical past imprint, ascending to 192 BC. Walking around the city, you seem to be transferred to the Middle Ages. There is a close interaction of Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions in the city. In addition, for those who are interested in painting, Toledo is a city in which there is a lot of cloths El Greco - the famous artist who lived in this city most of his life.
To get inside the fortress walls, you will need to go through one out of the 9th gates that have survived to this day. The most iconic buildings of the city are the Cathedral and Alcazar. Alcazar, besides defensive destination, was used for a long time as the Royal Palace, and after the transfer of the capital from Toledo to Madrid became the residence of the kings. Now in Alcasar is the Museum of Armed Forces. Next to it is a viewing platform with a beautiful view of the Tahoe River and the neighborhood of the city. The main attraction of Toledo - the Cathedral is not far from Alcasar. The cathedral is located on narrow close streets of the city, so it is difficult to assess its size and beauty, being nearby. Now the Cathedral carries not only a religious mission, but also performs the functions of the museum. In his treasury, a rich collection of jewels and paintings of El Greco is collected. The interiors of the cathedral are amazed by an extraordinary luxury.
Not far from the Cathedral is the Museum of El Greco, in which the paintings of this great artist can also be seen. Toledo's main square, from where it is convenient to start the view of the city - Plaza de Zocodover, next to which the Museum of Toledo Santa Cruz is located, in which the richest collection of works of art and painting is located.
Speaking of Toledo, it is impossible not to mention such excellent samples of architecture as bridges. The most famous of them is the San Martin Bridge.
Segovia
The next interesting city, located to the north-west of Madrid, is Segovia. This is one of the most beautiful cities in Spain. A special painting of this place is attached to the mountains, against the background of which the spiers of buildings are tested.
The city is known for the well-preserved Roman aqueduct, located in the eastern part of the city, as well as Alcasar, considered one of the most beautiful in Spain.
The aqueduct, located next to Plaza Azaguejo, is a monumental structure of more than 800 meters long and consisting of 163 arches. The appearance of this aqueduct causes genuine admiration for its architecture and size.
From the same area, the fortress wall begins, inside which most historical and architectural monuments are located. In the appearance of Segovia, the Roman heritage is very felt, so the city is reminded by ancient Italian cities.
The heart of Segovia, as well as most cities in Central Spain, is the Cathedral and Square next to it. On the weekend, the flea market is held here. From this part of the city overlooking Alcazar, which is majestically towers above the surroundings. What we see now is the construction of the XIX century on the site of the old fortress, repeatedly destroyed and reconstructed. You can visit Alcazar and admire the unusually chic panorama of the city, as well as inspect the exhibition of the museum dedicated to ancient weapon.
If you have time, you will definitely visit the nearby La Granha de San Ildondso - Dvorts complex, located at the foot of the mountains, which for a long time was the main summer residence of the Spanish kings. Finding here, you are experiencing a great surprise from the fact that your eyes quite unexpectedly appear a sample of gorgeous architecture, around which a huge park with many sculptural compositions and fountains is broken. You can visit the La Grant Palace and admire his luxurious interiors. A visit to the palace is possible from 10:00 to 17:00, break from 13:30 to 15:00.
You can get to Segovia from Madrid both by train and bus.
Avila
Another interesting city that is worth visiting while in this part of the country is Avila. The city is located on the Adaho River on the Hill. The main and most picturesque attraction is a beautifully preserved fortress wall of the XI century, which produces the impression of scenery to some historical film.
Surprisingly, the majority of the city's attractions are located outside this wall, so the walk through the city as if it is divided into two parts. The first part is the rise in the fortress wall, which is located next to the beautiful goal of Puerta -del-Alcazar and then walk through the compact central part of the city. Avila's Cathedral, adjacent to the fortress wall, looks more like a defensive than a religious structure.
El Greco cannons are stored in the Cathedral Museum.
The second part of the walk is to visit numerous churches and monasteries located outside the wall near the Santa Teres Square. This is the Basilica of San Vicente, and the Church of San Andres, the Church of San Tome-El Vieho, as well as the monasteries of San Jose and Real-Sao Tome.
You can reach Avila from Madrid in 45 minutes by train or for 1 h. 45 min. by bus.
A visit to these three cities that are in easy accessibility from Madrid will help you to get acquainted in more detail with the central part of Spain, which is different from the Mediterranean regions familiar to us. Here you will see a completely different architectural look of cities, you will feel the richest cultural heritage and the historical past of Spain.