Things to do in Alcala de Henares

Alcala de Henares is located only 30km east from Madrid and is an urban area full of artistic and historic sights. In the old part the former university makes the town famous and is outstanding. It used to be the most important university in Spain and was founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1496 and now it is a World Heritage Site.

Best deals in Madrid , information about family fun day out , things to do in Madrid , what to see in Madrid , best restaurants and bars in Madrid , cheap accommodation ,villas and apartments to rent , bargain hotels , bed and breakfast , luxury hotels , boutique hotels , every thing you need to know about travel , for more information
What to do in Alcalá de Henares

Despite the modern appearance of Alcalá de Henares it is a very historic city. With its hidden medieval centre still with colleges, monasteries, and palaces and the Calle Mayor (Main Street) is one of the oldest in Madrid province. When the university was built in the 15th century, Alcalá de Henares became an intellectual and cultural centre of Spain. Here was where Europe’s first polyglot Bible was published in 1517, but the town’s popularity declined in the 1800s when the university moved to Madrid. Today commuters have turned it almost into a virtual suburb of Madrid. Every April Alcala de Henares hosts the Abril de Cervantes - Festival de la Palabra, a cultural festival with activities including exhibitions, film, conferences, concerts, theatre, poetry and presentations of books.

Another example of `Alcalá de Henares' claims-to-fame is being the birth place of Miguel Cervantes, the author of the book Don Quijote, and is the most important novel in the Spanish language. If you visit the casa consistorial (Town Hall) you can still find some rare editions of Don Quijote. Alcalá de Henares would not be the same without the famous storks. They have always shown their presence nesting on the city monuments and are regarded as the perfect symbol of the coexistence between nature and cultural heritage. Once you have seen all the sites that Alcala de Henares has to offer hop onto a train to Madrid capital with regular trains that go to the stations Chamartin and or Atocha in Madrid which leave every 15–30min from 5.30am-11.45pm) and buses (every 15min, operated by Continental Auto) to and from Madrid throughout the day. It is very convenient and easy to go to Madrid by train. Departing from 'Alcala', it takes approx. 45 min

Three great cheap hotels to stay in

To get the most out of your holiday in Alcala de Henares, we have a large number of Hotels and apartments in Alcala de Henares and Madrid which range from self catering hotels and apartments to 5 star accommodations in Madrid.

AC Alcala de Henares - STAR - Alcala de Henares, CL OCTAVIO PAZ 25, Madrid. Strategically located in the business and industrial area of the city, it has easy access to the N-II highway, connecting to Madrid and to the business area.

Husa el Bedel - STAR - Alcala de Henares, PZ SAN DIEGO 6, Madrid. The Hotel El Bedel is a classic building, completely refurbished in 2000. It enjoys a privileged position, in the heart of the old quarter of world heritage.

Hotel Praga – Madrid - C/ Antonio Lopez, 65, MadridThe Hotel Praga, Madrid, Spain is a 4 star hotel. The hotel located in southwest Madrid next to the River Manzanares.
How to get to Alcalá de Henares

The Madrid Barajas Airport is the closest only 10. 6 miles away from Alcalá de Henares and can be reached by the Cercanías trains on lines C2 and C7, with several departures every hour from Atocha railway station. Buses leave from Continental Auto. To arrive there by car one should take the N-II (direction Barcelona). A flight to Madrid will take less than 2.30hrs from the UK, depending on your departure airport and cheap flights are regularly available.

cheap car hire rates in Alcala de Henares click here