Alcázar of Toledo

**It genuinely is — the city sits on a rock encircled by the river, so everything is up or down; but there are free public escalators.** ⚠ **The geography**: **Toledo stands on a rocky hill the Tagus loops around on three sides** — **excellent defence, hard walking**; **tens of metres between the river and the summit**, **and the lanes are narrow, paved and steep**. ✅ **⚠ First answer — the escalators**: **there are free public escalators** climbing from the car parks near the **Bisagra/Safont** gates up to the level of the old city — ✅ **they save an exhausting ascent entirely**, **so use them rather than walking up**. ✅ **Second — park at the bottom**: **do not drive into the old city** — the lanes are narrow and access restricted; **there are large car parks at the edges**. ✅ **Third — plan downhill**: **start at the top (the Alcázar or cathedral) and work down** towards the river — **not the reverse**. ⚠ **The rule**: **comfortable shoes are essential**, ⚠ **and the city is very hard for a wheelchair or pushchair**; ✅ **though the Alcázar, the cathedral and the major museums are accessible inside**, even if reaching them is work.