Arch-vault dam on the Zêzere River, near its confluence with the Nabão. It was completed in 1951 as part of the national policy for the use of hydroelectric resources. The reservoir, with an extension of about 60 km, offers enviable conditions for sports and contact with nature. It is an important strategic water reserve, supplying around three million people daily, the overwhelming majority of Greater Lisbon. In the area there are several nautical centers (where you can practice sailing, water skiing, canoeing, jet skiing, etc.), beaches and river pools, restaurants, etc. If you prefer to go out on your own, …

A settlement from the Iron Age (1st millennium BC - 4th century AD), this archaeological site is of great interest and has been the subject of successive interventions. It consists of the ruins of fortified settlements located at the northern foot of the hill on which Lanhoso Castle stands, now reconstructed and well preserved. Among the finds discovered, the set of 3 gold torques (Archaic Golden Jewels – distinctive objects of military leaders) worked with filigree applications stands out, anticipating the local art of gold working by more than 3,000 years. The most significant find was the Celtic Helmet, a …

Being the polychromy and exuberance of the shapes the main features of Baroque, it is not possible to walk through the city without noticing the many baroque buildings the city owns. This architectonic style can be seen in several buildings of civil and religious architecture of Porto. Some of the best examples of this style are the Clérigos Church and Tower, the Misericórdia Church’s façade, Santo Ildefonso Church and The Holly See, being this last one, of Romanic origin, one of the first to suffer baroque changes. From the Clérigos to the Santo Ildefonso Church we can observe a set …

Dating back to the visigoths, this villag and parish of Aguiar da Beira has about 274 inhabitants. They are mostly farmers (wine, olive oil, wheat, corn and beans), cattle raisers, house builders and small merchants. One must visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Verdes (classed as an Publish Interest Construction in 1932 and one of the richest in the parish) and the Dormas caves. The mother church of Forninhos (remodelled in 1797 in the baroque style), the picnic area and the mills on the banks of the Cabreira brook are also worth a visit. Its main celebration is …

When it comes to the Bussaco Palace Hotel and transposes the first doors of the building, which was one of the last royal palaces, feels that if he's going too in the history of Portugal. Since that was adapted to hotel, in 1917, already here were housed numerous illustrious figures, but also many couples in love anonymous, who arrive in search of romantic atmosphere that the hotel and its gardens offer. Decoration keeps the noble and stately air of other times, João Vaz restaurant retains, in turn, the refinement of all time. The wine cellar and the wines of Buçaco …

Quinta da Bouça d'arques, in Viana do Castelo, is owned by Abreu Teixeira family for three centuries. It is inserted into a large farm, the vineyards and the land of clay with century-old trees. Adapted to the tourist aspect, offers seven houses (six T1 and T2) all carefully decorated in a blend of the rustic and the modern, and baptized with names of plants and trees. The houses have independent access and private garden. Breakfast is served in the manor (main house) or in each of the accommodation, depending on the guest's wish. On the outskirts of the property, the …

São Jorge Castle was the birthplace of Lisbon. Situated 111 meters above the waters of the Tagus, the castle and walls underwent successive adaptations over the centuries. The current appearance is that of a medieval building, with 10 square-shaped towers, where the ruins of the Royal Palace still remain. It is a pleasant space to stroll around, and for this purpose, you can choose either the gardens, which date back to 1942 and where geese and ducks roam, or the narrow alleys of the tiny neighborhood of Santa Cruz, located within the castle walls. Visitors can also climb the towers …

Although the certainties are not absolute, everything suggests that Fernão de Magalhães was born in this house, and there is even a reference to Sabrosa in the navigator's will. Being a rural farm house, it has popular civil architecture, characterized by small openings, without erudite elements. The coat of arms inserted in one of the cornerstones of the house would have been chopped by order of King Manuel I, as the navigator made his great voyage of discovery at the service of the kings of Spain. The house was never sold and passed to the current owners by inheritance. In …

The parish church of Cerdedo, dedicated to the Apostle St. James, is deployed in the southern part of the village, in the middle of a churchyard that was the old cemetery. The main façade has a ported with round arch in front of which lies, against the Bell Tower, a granite sarcophagus. Inside are three gilded altars, the high altar, which occupies the entire wall of the head of the Church and two side altars decorated with panels, which contain religious imaginary, the patron saint of the parish and other devotions. In this church the Sunday masses are celebrated, as …

A 12th-century monument that underwent extensive renovations in the 18th and 19th centuries, it preserves its original Gothic Main Chapel, with a vaulted ceiling. Beneath the Gothic-Manueline arch lies the tomb of the knight Fernão Gomes de Góis, executed in 1440 by João Afonso, Master of the Bells. The tomb features a richly decorated reclining statue supported by four lions with thick, combed manes. Also, noteworthy are the chapels and altars of Our Lady of the Conception, a 17th-century sculpture, and the Holy Christ. In one of the niches on the Gospel side, there is a limestone statue of Saint …