Alcalá de Henares town
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Alcalá de Henares - by MemoTravels from Pixabay
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.
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
av. transport time:0h 50m
est. visit time:3h 30m
Sunrise / early morningOk
MorningOk
Lunch timeOk
AfternoonOk
Sunset / eveningOk
Night – bef. midnightOk
Night – aft. midnightNo