UNique – 2/10

Sometimes, a UNESCO site collector has to make a difficult choice of seeing one site while missing others due to time pressure. Such was the case, as we were waking up in our hotel room in Madrid and brainstorming about which of the three sites to visit on our last day before flying out. We settled on Alcala de Henares, a town outside of Madrid, which prides itself on being the first planned university city in the world. Originally founded in the 16th century, the university’s urban planning aspired to approach the ideal of Civitas Dei (“the city of God”). Within a few centuries, Alcala grew to become one of the most significant universities in Europe.

ESsential – 1/10

The highlight of the city for me was the pedestrian avenue of Calle Mayor, connecting the Cathedral to the University’s Plaza de Cervantes. The street is characterized by the rows of precariously crumbling columns which support the overhanging second floors of the buildings, thus providing a porticoed space for the shops and cafes below. Even if the street has probably seen better days, it still provides a charming walk through town. It is on this street that the birth house of Miguel de Cervantes can be found, right next to the medieval hospital where his father used to work. As for the university itself, while it boasts an impressive facade and an interesting cloister, there are very few buildings that stand out. In fact, the university closed down and moved to Madrid in 1836, and during the next 140 years, the buildings were used for administrative offices, even prisons. As a result, some of the charm and wonder of the former university town has been irrevocably lost.

COst-effective – 3/10

Alcala de Henares is around 35 kilometres away from Madrid and can be reached by Cercanias railway within 45 minutes. The university part of town is a bit of a walk away from the train station, but the actual old town is quite small and can be easily covered by foot. Make sure not to miss the white storks nesting on the roofs of many prominent buildings, and if you have a chance, buy glazed almonds from the nuns at the Convent of the Clarisas of San Diego.