Jewish Heritage: Spain

Explore Spain's fascinating Jewish heritage on this luxury private tour along the Sephardic Way. Spain was once home to one of the world’s largest and most prosperous Jewish communities under Muslim and Christian rule. Today, a few thousand Jews live in Spain, but Sephardic Jews—the descendants of expelled Spanish and Portuguese Jews—still make up a fifth of the global Jewish population. This wonderful, and quite comprehensive, introduction to Spain also includes cultural touring through UNESCO World Heritage sites and some of Spain’s greatest cities—all with expert guides and luxury accommodations.

Begin in Madrid, today home to one of Spain’s largest Jewish communities. During flexible private touring, perhaps explore the city's elegant squares, stately Habsburg architecture, leafy boulevards and narrow backstreets, as well as the majestic Royal Palace. Also tour the world-renowned Prado Museum to see paintings and sculpture from the royal collections, or the equally impressive Reina Sofia or Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. During leisure time, perhaps browse the high-end boutiques in the upscale Salamanca district.

During private excursions, visit two historically important Jewish centers: Toledo and Cordoba. Known as the city of three cultures, Toledo once flourished as a unique center where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived in harmony. Accordingly, this mix of cultures is reflected in the city’s architecture, beautifully displayed in its ancient churches, mosques, and synagogues embellished with the floral motifs, coffered ceilings and horseshoe arches of the Mudejar style. Toledo was also home to the painter known as El Greco, and many of his paintings still remain here—including his masterpiece, The Burial of Count Orgaz. Cordoba, a capital city under the Romans and the Moors, was a major learning center during the Middle Ages and the hometown of Maimonides, the great Jewish rabbi and philosopher. During private touring, walk the narrow streets of the old Jewish Quarter and see the 14th-century synagogue. Also tour the Mezquita, a vast, ancient mosque with a forest of horseshoe-shaped pillars, stunning stucco decoration and a Gothic cathedral built right in the middle.

Next, tour Segovia. Jews lived in this medieval town—famous for its Roman aqueduct—for centuries. However, it was also here in Segovia's spectacular hilltop Alcazar (palace-fortress) that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella signed the 1492 order to expel the Jews from Spain. Stay in Tudela, once an important Jewish cultural center with a rabbinical school. While there, tour important Jewish attractions, including an old Jewish Quarter and a medieval synagogue.

Continue to Barcelona, one of Europe's most dynamic cultural centers. Tour narrow lanes and the ancient synagogue in the Call, the former heart of the Jewish community deep inside the Gothic Quarter. See the architectural masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi, one of Spain's greatest modern architects; taste Catalan specialties in local food markets; and perhaps enjoy a flexible shopping tour of upscale boutiques specializing in local artisanal products and designer goods, if desired. One day, take an excursion to Girona, a lovely city that was once home to Spain's largest Jewish population. Visit Girona's Call, the best-preserved Jewish Quarter in Spain, and the Museum of Jewish History, as well as other highlights such as the Arab Baths and Gothic cathedral. Also tour nearby Besalu, a beautiful medieval town with a 12th-century mikvah, one of the oldest in Europe.