Day Tryps Outside Madrid

AVILA / TOLEDO / SEGOVIA
No other country has as many cities declared UNESCO World Heritage, as Spain. Of these, three – Avila, Toledo and Segovia – lie within a ninety minute drive from Madrid.

Once home to Saint Teresa and Spain’s first Gothic cathedral, Avila is surrounded by a formidable and admirably preserved 11th century Romanesque wall.

Toledo, Spain’s former capital city, deserves UNESCO’s prestigious title, not merely for its boundless art heritage but, also, for its charming hilltop setting.

Why this medieval city is still considered the religious capital of Spain will become apparent, as your guided tour unfolds, with its truly breathtaking cathedral and a host of temples – synagogues and churches – which, for centuries, made Toledo a crucible for the Catholic, Jewish and Muslim cultures.

Another meeting point for these same cultures was Segovia, where such important historical events as the coronation of Queen Isabel, the Catholic, took place.

Segovia boasts yet another fine example of Spain’s cultural heritage in the form of the Roman Aqueduct, a two thousand year-old feat of Roman engineering and a wonderfully preserved masterpiece