Toledo, which means “raised above,” is a medieval-looking city situated on a plateau above the river Tajo, right in the center of Spain. The region is called Castilla La Mancha, or Don Quijote’s Land, and is located approximately forty-four miles south of Madrid, the capital of the country. Today the population of Toledo is seventy thousand people. The weather both there and in Madrid is hot and dry in the summer and cold in the winter.

Toledo was founded by the Romans and then much later on, in the 12th century, King Alfonso X—often called The Wise One—made the city the capital of Spain. Since the three main religions of the Western world (Christian, Jewish and Muslim) coexisted there peacefully at that time, Toledo became the cultural capital of all of Europe as well.

Madrid was not always the big city that it is today. Madrid—“Mayrit” in Arabic—was originally a very small religious and military base that the Arabs founded in the 9th century. Later on in the 16th century, King Felipe II moved the capital of the then Spanish empire to Madrid, in the north.

Today Madrid is a very cosmopolitan city with a population of approximately six million people. The population has grown because new immigrants have come from all over the world. There are so many fun things that you can do in Madrid! In the summer it does not get dark until 10:30 at night and even children stay out late in the streets with their parents. If you like looking at art, the Prado Museum has one of the biggest collections of paintings in the world. If you like to do more physical activities, there are plenty of exciting places you can visit. For example, at the Retiro Park and La casa de campo you can row, bike, hike or have a picnic. Or you can just take a walk in the streets of the city at dawn and encounter people wherever you go. You will never be bored there!