Toledo City Guide
Post 1560, however, its importance declined rapidly and the city slid into the political backwaters. A favourable consequence of this was that much of the fabric of the old town remained untouched by ‘progress' and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with very tangible reminders of its multi-faceted past.
Surrounded on three sides by the moat-like River Tagus (Rio Tajo), with parts of its city wall and powerful gateways still intact, Toledo is one of Spain's most photographed and visited cities, little changed in appearance since El Greco painted its higgledy piggledy skyline nearly four centuries ago.
The downside to this is that some parts of the town have come to resemble a theme park with large tour groups blocking the narrow alleyways and crowding the trinket-stuffed shops in search of the famous Toledan steel.
Once the deadliest weaponry in the world, wielded by Spanish heroes from El Cid to the Conquistadores, today it is more likely to be manufactured under Hollywood licence as the ‘official' arms of Lord of the Rings or Conan the Barbarian.
Still, there are more than enough sights to accommodate allcomers and the labyrinthine streets mean that you can get off the beaten track in no time at all. If you can, stay overnight, when the city empties of day trippers and reverts to its quiet medieval atmosphere.
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