Ciudad Real had little going for it 15 years ago. An unattractive city on the parched steppes of Spain’s central meseta, its main claim to fame was Miguel de Cervantes’ frequent references to La Mancha – as it was known in the 16th century – in the epic tales of Don Quixote.

However, the arrival in 1992 of the AVE high-speed train service from Madrid changed all that. With travelling times to the Spanish capital reduced by about two hours, Ciudad Real has become an important tourist stop-off and commuter city.