Castile La Mancha
The autonomous community of Castile La Mancha lies in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, surrounded by Madrid, Castile and Leon, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia and Extremadura. It is the third largest administrative division in Spain in terms of territory and is predominantly mountainous with a rural character, which determines its low density of population. This is one of the most typically Spanish regions with its endless raw plateaus and rocky hills strewn with olive groves and windmills, which are immortalised by Cervantes in his famous novel 'Don Quixote'. The turbulent history of the area, which hosted numerous battles between Moors and Christians in the Middle Ages, has left its traces in the multitude of castles, fortifications and religious sites in the whole region. Its administrative centre is in Toledo, which is a renowned tourist destination and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the former capitals of the Spanish Empire. Today this historical city is a centre of top quality knife and sword production. For fans of modern entertainment, the big industrial and transportation centre of Albacete offers a rich cultural programme and bustling nightlife.