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Alcalá de Henares town

48 Calle Mayor, Alcalá de Henares, Comunidad de Madrid

Description

Alcalá de Henares is one of the largest towns in the Community of Madrid, it is located 35km to the northeast of the capital on the way to Guadalajara. The area has been inhabited for over two millennia, but the town was founded with the arrival of the Moors in 711. They built a citadel - "al-qalʿa" in Arabic which together with the Henares River that flows nearby gave the town its name. Religion has been central to Alcalá's history; it was one of the first dioceses in Spain and a pilgrimage site to Saints Justo and Pastor during the Middle Ages with the local 16th century Cathedral bearing their names: Cathedral-Magistral of Saints Justus and Pastor or Catedral de los Santos Niños (Cathedral of the Saint Children). The other pillar of the city was the Complutense University founded at the end of the 13th century, making it one of the oldest in the world. Finally, Miguel de Cervantes Savedraa, known for his novel Don Quixote, was born there is 1547.

Access & Transport

The city is directly connected with Madrid by train: C2 from Chamartín station or C2 / C7 from Atocha station. By car, it is a 40' journey on the A-2 towards Guadalajara.

Instructions & Recommendations

If you are planning to visit the Cathedral, note that it closes around lunch time and only opens in the evening on Sundays. The Cervantes Birthplace Museum is closed on Mondays.

Meta review

The city centre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often recommended as a day trip option from Madrid. Visitors list the Cervantes square and University as the main sights with the former drawing positive comments for the nice town hall building and the roses (depending on the season) whilst the latter impresses visitors with its architecture and history. The Cervantes Birthplace Museum draws mixed reviews as it is not really a museum but just a tour of the house where he grew up as it was furnished back then - no entrance fee though, so worth a quick look.

Environmental & Social

The main activities in the city have a low carbon footprint. Tourism is a welcome injection of activity and revenues in the local economy

Conclusion

Alcalá de Henares is an excellent day-trip option from Madrid or for those transitioning between the capital and the Province of Guadalajara. The University, old city centre streets and Cervantes Square are all deserve to be checked out at a leisurely pace. Worth including in any regional in-depth/slow travel itinerary.

Key positive

A mix of things to see / visit in a compact area

Easy to get to from Madrid

Key negative

None

Suitability

No restrictions

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

June 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 50m

est. visit time:3h 30m

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightOk

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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