The Old University and Miguel de Cervantes are the keywords that characterize this World Heritage site. Too little to make Alcalá de Henares an overwhelming site, but enough for a pleasant day trip from Madrid or, as I did, one day with an overnight stay.
The Universidad Complutense is remarkable because Alcalá de Henares was the first planned university town in the world. The façade of its main building is the showpiece of the town, although the Plateresque decoration is less exuberant than in Salamanca. When you step through the portal, you are standing in the first and most representative of the three courtyards. The rest of the complex can be visited with a guided tour. You can see the other two courtyards, the auditorium and some other rooms. The highlight is the Iglesia San Ildelfonso. It is a mixture of the Renaissance style with a beautiful Mudéjar coffered ceiling. San Ildefonso is also home to the tomb of the university's founder, Cardenal Cisnero.

After the re-foundation of the university in 1977, many of the historic buildings were reused for their original purpose. Nevertheless, Alcala de Henares does not give the impression of a typical university town. Not comparable with Salamanca, for example. And actually, the storks are the real highlight of the city. Certainly, more than a hundred pairs build their nests on the roofs of the houses and churches and contribute significantly to the special charm of this WHS. Most of them can be found on the ruins next to the Archbishop's Palace.

What else is worth seeing? The Calle Mayor with its porticoes (photo) and the large but cosy Plaza de Cervantes with the town hall. Calle Mayor is the central axis of the old town with several cafés, tapas bars and shops. The house where Cervantes was born is also located here. You cannot miss it because Don Quixote and his faithful companion Sancho Panza sit on a bench in front of the house. And it is the only building on the street with a front garden instead of the usual porticoes. This indicates that the museum may be cheating in calling it the house of his birth, because Cervantes' father was an impoverished nobleman who worked as a barber or "surgeon". His financial means were probably not sufficient to maintain such a house. Nevertheless, it is worth a visit. The furnishings and interior decoration date from the 16th and 17th centuries, so the house gives a good impression of the everyday life of a noble family at that time.

All in all, Alcalá de Henares is not one of the top WHS in Spain, but it is a charming town with a historical background, and not overcrowded with tourists.