Alcalá de Henares

Alcalá de Henares is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes and the seat of one of Europe's oldest universities, and its old town is built around that dual identity. The historic university buildings and the streets tied to Cervantes's life are compact enough to cover in half a day, making it one of the easier and shorter trips from Madrid. It's a working university town rather than a purely historic shell, so the old town has a lived-in, student-city feel alongside the monuments.