sculpted gardens

La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia - Castilla y León), Spain

Holy Toledo!

Toledo (Castilla la Mancha), Spain

What beautiful doors there are here!

walls of Toledo

Toledo (Castilla la Mancha), Spain

Islamic influence

Toledo (Castilla la Mancha), Spain

This synagogue was designed and decorated by Mudejar architects (Muslims who submitted to the rule of Christianity) in times when Jews, Muslims and Christians peacefully co-existed.  The Islamic influence stands out making it look more like a mosque than a synagogue.  The cross in the background was added in the 15th century when times went turbulent.  The synagogue was taken over in the Christian Reconquista and converted into a church.

a Gothic wonder

Toledo (Castilla la Mancha), Spain

This Gothic wonder is considered, by some experts, to be the magnum opus of the Gothic style in Spain.  It took more than two and a half centuries to complete.

city of three cultures

Toledo (Castila la Mancha), Spain

Known as the "city of three cultures", Toledo was known for its religious tolerance as the co-existence of Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultures was quite common well into the 15th century.  Because of this and its extensive cultural and monumental heritage, the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

beauty in white

Toledo (Castilla la Mancha), Spain

This synagogue (Jewish house of prayer), originally known as Ibn Shushan, was thought to have been built in the late 12th or early 13th century.  Later in the 15th century it was taken over by the Catholic church.  Of the ten synagogues that once stood in Toledo, this one and another still stand today.  They are open to the public as museums.

love at first sight

Toledo (Castilla la Mancha), Spain

hanging on the edge...

Cuenca (Cuenca - Castilla la Mancha), Spain

Remarkable views of Cuenca from afar.

more than just nature...

Cuenca (Cuenca - Castilla la Mancha), Spain

Not only is the historic walled town of Cuenca surrounded by natural beauty sitting high above a gorge formed by the river Júcar and its tributary, Huécar, but its architecture and numerous museums also make this town worthy of a visit.  The Cathedral of Cuenca began construction in the late 12th century, built where a mosque once stood, and is said to be one of the the first Gothic style cathedrals in Spain, mixed with elements of the previous Romanesque period.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a magical place to be explored. If you have never visited Cuenca, I highly recommend it.  It ranks high on the list of places I have visited in Spain.