Historic building in Alcala de Henares
Also known as Universidad de Alcalá; Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso
Partly free, partly paidSome of it costs nothing, some of it charges.
The UNESCO-listed Renaissance university founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499, fronted by one of Spain’s finest Plateresque facades. The original building, the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso, sits in the heart of Alcala de Henares. The facade and the arcaded patios cost nothing to admire, so it is worth a look even on a tight budget. The interior, including the Paraninfo great hall that hosts the annual Cervantes Prize ceremony and the chapel that holds Cardinal Cisneros’s tomb, is open on an inexpensive guided tour. The university sits a short walk from the free Cervantes Birthplace Museum, the Plaza de Cervantes, and the arcaded Calle Mayor of Alcala de Henares, and the city is a cheap Cercanías train ride from Madrid.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
A massive fortified palace that served as the seat of the Archbishops of Toledo, the most powerful churchmen in Spain. This is the building where Columbus had his first audience with the Catholic Monarchs in 1486 to argue for his voyage west.
One of the longest arcaded streets in Spain, running through the heart of the old town of Alcala de Henares. Free to walk, lined with shops and cafes under its continuous portico, it is the natural corridor between the city's main sights.
One of only two churches in the world to hold the title "Magistral," a rank that once required all its canons to hold a doctoral degree. The other is in Leuven, Belgium. This late Gothic church anchors the old town of Alcala de Henares, steps from the University of Alcala, and it costs nothing to step inside.
Reconstructed house on the Calle Mayor where Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, was born in 1547, now a museum recreating a 16th-century Castilian home. Entry is free, which makes it one of the best-value literary sites in Spain and an easy stop on a budget day trip from Madrid to Alcala de Henares.
University chapel inside the Cisnerian block of the University of Alcala, known for a Mudejar coffered ceiling and the marble tomb of Cardinal Cisneros, the man who founded the university in 1499. It is one of the most ornate interiors in Alcala de Henares and is normally seen as part of the university guided tour rather than as a free standalone stop.
Complutum is the open-air ruin of the Roman city that grew where Alcala de Henares stands today, with an excavated forum, public baths, and townhouses whose mosaic floors still survive in the open. Entry is free, and the regional train from Madrid puts it within easy reach, which makes it one of the cheapest serious Roman sites in central Spain.
Working out what Alcala de Henares costs?
The whole of Alcala de Henares