Few cities tell Spain's story like Toledo, set dramatically above a loop of the Tagus. Capital of Spain until 1561, it was the meeting place of three faiths, and the legacy is everywhere: a soaring Gothic cathedral, medieval synagogues, a mosque, and the haunting paintings of El Greco, who made the city his home.

The whole UNESCO old town is a museum of medieval Spain — and one of the highlights of the Al Ándalus on the way to or from Madrid.