The Cervantes Birth House-Museum is located on the site where the family house of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) once stood. The author of “Don Quixote” spent his early years here, in the heart of the Old Town of Alcalá de Henares. This city, about 30 kilometres from Madrid, has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 1998, when its significance was acknowledged as the world’s first planned university town. This museum recreates the various public and private areas of the house to give visitors a vivid idea of how a well-to-do Castilian family lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. On visiting its rooms, one may observe, visually and scenographically, the customs, tastes and daily activities of the house’s inhabitants. Also on display here are numerous editions of Cervantes’ works from all periods and in many different languages. The museum opened in 1956 and welcomes an average of 150,000 visitors a year. It features a wide-ranging programme of activities and it is a “must” on any visit to Alcalá de Henares.