The City of Alcalá de Henares

The City of Alcalá de Henares, is one of the most important cities in the history of Spain. It is just 30km from Madrid. The famous Complutense University was founded here in 1499, and since then it has declared Spanish a language of culture. Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, was born in Alcalá back in 1547.

Alcalá de Henares is now part of the “Path of the Spanish Language”, a route comprising all those places in Spain that have had a special influence on the Spanish language. In 1998, it was classified as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO dued by its rich monumental heritage, formed by churches, convents and university buildings, gives us a glimpse of life in Castilia during the Spanish Golden Age. Its historic quarter also has the “Hostería del Estudiante” Inn, which is part of the network of Paradores de Turismo. Walls with four hundred years of history make the perfect place to sample the best of the local gastronomy.