The Alentejo
is an agricultural region, renowned for its cork plantations and
also boasts a number of barely discovered historic towns and an
extensive coastline of windswept beaches.
Evora
This beautiful, hilltop town, still protected by a ring of fortified
walls enclosing cobbled streets and quaint houses, is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. The sights are numerous and include
a splendid medieval Cathedral (Sé), the Church of
São Francisco, famous for its grisly ossuary, the
14th-century Palace of the Dukes of Cadaval and a ruined Roman temple.
Elsewhere
Monsaraz
is a splendid hilltop village near the Spanish border with traditional
whitewashed houses, cobbled streets and fine views of the surrounding
countryside. Marvão is an impressively sited
medieval town, the clifftop location being the main attraction.
Elvas retains its ramparts, gateways and historic
old quarter. Vila Viçosa contains the former
palace (now a museum) of the Dukes of Bragança. |
