Art & architecture in Spain

Take a trip to the UNESCO town of Toledo, also known as the ‘city of three cultures’, due to Christian, Jewish and Muslim influences. Visit the cathedral, a stupendous example of Gothic architecture boasting lofty ribbed vaults and a glorious 100-metre tower. Stop at the Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca, crafted by Moorish architects with beautiful white pillars and horse-shoe arches. Don’t miss El Greco’s famed Burial of Count Orgaz painting that hangs in the Church of Santo Tomé.

Housed in a mansion in the upscale Salamanca neighbourhood, Lazaro Galdiano’s private collection is a must-see for art lovers. The publisher and financier amassed some 15,000 objects making him ‘one of the greatest patrons of culture in 19th-century Spain’. Peruse stately rooms brimming with cabinets of curiosities as well as works by Goya, El Greco and Bosch. Continue on to Museo del Romanticismo, dedicated to antiquated furniture and well worth a look for its bygone-era aristocratic treasures.

About 60km northwest from Madrid, tucked away in the Sierra de Guadarrama, lies San Lorenzo de El Escorial. This UNESCO-credited town may be small, but it packs a wallop of beautiful architecture, most notably, the 16th-century monastery built by Philip II. Explore its imposing granite structure, that feels almost fortress-like. Inside you’ll find a chapel with a 30-metre high altar and a barrel-vaulted library (a museum in itself) containing over 40,000 volumes, marble floors and beautiful carved wood shelves.