podtour
Travellers in Toledo: from Bécquer to Buñuel
In the nineteenth century, Toledo realised it was being looked at, and began to get ready for it.
The Jewish Quarter and the Conversos of Toledo: audio walk in Toledo
From the Jewish quarter to the Sentencia of 1449: a house auctioned in 1397, a castle that ended up as a rubbish tip, ropes across the weirs, a fallen treasurer, Hebrew letters that were never erased, and the first law to shut people out by blood.
What this walk is about
Of Toledo's synagogues only two buildings survive, but the documents have a great deal to tell. The walk tracks down a vanished synagogue through its neighbours, tells the story of 1391 at Santa María la Blanca, climbs to the castle of the Jewish quarter and looks out over the Tagus for the assault of 1355 and the legend of the Jewish woman of Toledo. Then come meat, taxes and unequal rules, the treasurer Samuel ha-Levi, and the order of 1500 to scrape away some letters that are still there. At Santo Tomé, the orders of 1460 and 1492 on the synagogues. And on the way up towards the cathedral, what happened to those who were baptised: the fire of 1467 and the Sentencia of 1449, the first exclusion by lineage. No slogans and no dramatised violence, with a warning beforehand.
- Start
- The House of the Fig Tree
- Finish
- The exclusions written into law in 1449
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about Jewish and Sephardic history. For anyone who wants to understand convivencia without idealising it. Written for adults and teenagers. You don’t need any prior knowledge.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The House of the Fig Tree
- 2
Four lives and a poem
- 3
The castle that became a rubbish heap
- 4
Ropes across the river in 1355
- 5
The legend of the Jewish woman of Toledo
- 6
Meat, wine and tithes
- 7
The treasurer of the two castles
- 8
The letters they ordered scraped away
- 9
The order not to sell the synagogues
- 10
The fire at La Magdalena in 1467
- 11
The exclusions written into law in 1449
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Toledo, before you go
Toledo fits into a walk, though rarely a straight line. Good soles and a plan by area do more for the trip than an endless list of monuments.
More walks nearby
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
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A little welcome gift
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on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.