Day trip to Alcalá de Henares and Cervantes Museum

From Madrid, you can take a day trip to Alcalá de Henares, a city where Roman roots, the university and Cervantes coexist in the same urban space, without being separated by eras.

The route visits places connected with Miguel de Cervantes’ life. The house where he was born preserves restored 16th-century interiors and lets visitors imagine everyday life of the time. One stop is specifically devoted to his baptism and to points in the city associated with the writer’s family and the history of his works.

Next, the route heads to Plaza de Cervantes, with the statue of the author of “Don Quixote”, then to the University of Alcalá de Henares, founded by Cardinal Cisneros and considered Spain’s oldest. Afterwards, it continues to Plaza de los Santos Niños and the Magistral Cathedral, where local religious history is told.

The route ends at the Archbishop’s Palace, which at different times was the residence of Castilian monarchs and is linked to the birth of Catherine of Aragon.