Alcalá de Henares
This beautiful city of 170,000 inhabitants is found just a short distance from Madrid and is well-known for being the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Qijote de la Mancha. It's also known for its university, which was founded in 1499 by Cardinal Cisneros. It was the first university city in the world, where such illustrious figures as Antonio de Nebrija, Francisco de Quevedo and Lope de Vega studied. The city's peak of splendor was during the Spanish Golden Age .
In 1998, Alcalá de Henares was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As for other monuments, we would highlight the Gothic cathedrla, the Archbishop's Palace (16th-century façade), the Convent of San Bernardo and the House-Museum of Cervantes.