podtour
Women of Toledo
In Toledo, women appear little on the façades and a great deal in the papers.
Travellers in Toledo: from Bécquer to Buñuel: audio walk in Toledo
How Toledo learnt to pose for the outsider: Bécquer arrested for drawing, the house of the laurel, Rilke's last image, the wrong street, the outsiders' photographer, a mature destination, the Order of Toledo, the museum city, an inn with a plaque and the ruined Alcázar.
What this walk is about
In the nineteenth century, Toledo realised it was being looked at, and began to get ready for it. The walk starts with Bécquer, arrested for drawing near Santa Leocadia, and his house of the laurel; it continues with Rilke, who arrived in 1912 wanting to become a Toledan and chose an Assumption by El Greco as his last image of the city; a street dedicated to the Bécquers where they lived the least; the photographer who sold views "for outsiders", and his museum; and what geographers called, in 1998, a mature destination. In Zocodover, Buñuel, Dalí and the Order of Toledo; at the Arco de la Sangre, the museum city and an inn linked to Cervantes without any proof. It ends at the ruined Alcázar the Romantics used to visit, where Gautier watched the sun go down.
- Start
- Arrested for drawing
- Finish
- The Alcázar in ruins
- Who it is for
- For another visit, when you want to look beyond the familiar sights. A walk for anyone curious about nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature, art and film. 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
Arrested for drawing
- 2
The house of the laurel
- 3
Rilke's last image of Toledo
- 4
The wrong street
- 5
Alguacil's museum
- 6
Views for visitors
- 7
When tourism changes a neighbourhood
- 8
The Order of Toledo
- 9
The city turned into a museum
- 10
The plaque that turned a possibility into a fact
- 11
The Alcázar in ruins
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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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.