Alcázar de Toledo

The Alcazar dominates the city of Toledo and can't miss seeing it when you look at the city from the surroundings. I often start Toledo walking tour form their and walk down towards the Cathedral and narrow streets. Visiting from inside depends on how much time you have to spend in the City, and if you like military art and history or not. I would put it a 3rd priority after the Cathedral and Museo de Santa Cruz, and maybe Iglesia de Santo Tomé.

This spot played important roles in the Region's history since the 3rd century when it was a Roman Palace, it was restored under Charles I and Philip II of Spain in the 1540s. In 1521, Hernán Cortés was received by Charles I at the Alcázar, following Cortes' conquest of the Aztecs. It witnessed heavy fightings during the Spanish civil war and was severely damaged, untul its recent renovation.

The Alcazar hosts two important institutions, the Army Museum and the public Library of Castille-La Mancha Region

The Army Museum
It houses large collections starting from the 19th century until today. The collections include: knives, swords, firearms, artillery, flags, uniforms, miniatures, medals, models, ethnographic objects, and the collections from the Romero Ortiz Museum and the House of the Dukes of Medinaceli. It also houses the remains of old Roman, medieval and modern constructions.

The Army Museum detailed schedule:
From Jun 01 to Sep 30
From Thursday to Tuesday
Does not close at midday
From 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday
From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

From Oct 01 to May 31
From Thursday to Tuesday
Does not close at midday
From 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Sunday
From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Closing days: Wednesday
Closed: 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December.

The Library:
From Monday to Friday: 08:30 to 21:15
Saturdays: 09:00 to 14:00
Closed on Sundays and in July-August Less