A Neoclassical building with a lavish interior, Ajuda National Palace was built from 1802 after the devastating earthquake in which the then royal residence, Ribeira Palace, was destroyed.

Since 1968, Ajuda National Palace has been an art museum as well as a venue for official state functions, with guided tours available.

Ajuda National Palace history

After the 1755 earthquake, the temporary wooden building that housed the Portuguese royal family was replaced by a magnificent modern Neoclassical palace. Over time, the project was paused or slowed because of financial issues or political conflict.

For example, when the Portuguese royals fled to Brazil in 1807 when the French invaded, work on the palace slowed dramatically. The palace was at this point invaded by Napoleon‘s troops and then discontinued by Liberal forces who reduced royal power by installing a constitutional monarchy – much like Britain.

Artistically, the Ajuda National Palace combined the Baroque style – associated with regal authority – and the fashionable Neoclassic from Italy, which dominated. The palace interiors were designed by King Luis I’s reign by Queen Maria Pia, who lived in Ajuda National Palace from the day she became queen in 1862 until the Republican Revolution in 1910, when the royals were forced into exile.

Ajuda National Palace today

Open from 10am until 5.30pm Thursday to Tuesday, the Ajuda National Palace remains a splendid marker of Portugal’s royal past. The grand dining hall alone is worth the 5€ entry fee – still used by the president for hosting state dinners, the room is an immaculate and ornate entertainment space.

As a museum, the palace displays decorative artwork from the 18th and 19th centuries, including lavish gold and silver work, textiles, ceramics as well as paintings, sculpture and photographs.

Getting to Ajuda National Palace

Located in the heart of the Alto da Ajuda district of Lisbon, the Ajuda National Palace is most easily reached on public transport. Both buses and trams 18E stop at Ajuda GNR, and buses 76B, 742 and 760 also stop at the palace square – all just 3-5 minutes walk away.

Albufeira Municipal Archeological Museum history

The building that the museum is housed in served as the town hall until the late 1980s. The collection was originally assembled by Father José Manual Semedo de Azevedo and includes pieces from the Villa Romana da Retorta, the necropolis of Morgado da Lameira and the Old Matriz Church. The pieces are closely linked to the history of Albufeira, from its earliest origins up to the 17th century.

The archaeological museum became part of the Portuguese Network of Museums in 2003. In 2007 it was incorporated into the Algarve Museum Network.

Albufeira Municipal Archaeological Museum today

The museum has characteristics of urban architecture commonly found in the south of Portugal and occupies two floors overlooking the sea. There are areas for study, conservation, restoration and storage of materials, as well as a small thematic library.

The collection is divided into four sections: Prehistory, Roman Period, Islamic Period and the Modern Age. Highlights include an impressive Roman mosaic, Roman ceramics, original amphorae from the Villa Romana da Retorta and an excavated silo dating from the Islamic period. Temporary exhibits are shown on the upper floor.

Each exhibit has information in a variety of languages on printed sheets stored in a wall shelf close to them, including English, French, German and Spanish. 

Getting to Albufeira Municipal Archaeological Museum

Located in Albufeira’s old town, the archaeological museum can be found just behind the beach. The museum is within comfortable walking distance of the Museum of Religious Art (Museu de Arte Sacra) and the Capela da Misericórdia.

The Albufeira train station is in Ferreira, around 3.5 miles from the old town. The local bus network is called Giro and tickets are sold by the driver. The regional bus terminal connects Albufeira with other major cities along the Algarve by Trans Rapido express buses and Carreiras Interubanas buses that follow a longer and slower route through the coastal villages.

Taxi drivers are not allowed to stop in the street but can be booked over the phone, and many taxi companies offer a direct service to Faro airport.

Batalha Monastery history

The Monastery of the Dominicans of Batalha was built to commemorate the victory of the Portuguese over the Castilians at the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. It was to be the Portuguese monarchy’s main building project for the next two centuries. Over the course of the project, a highly original, national Gothic style evolved, profoundly influenced by Manueline art, as demonstrated by the Royal Cloister.

The Monastery is thought to have been designed by English architect Master Huguet. The chapel’s floor plan consists of an octagonal space inserted in a square, creating two separate volumes that combine most harmoniously. The ceiling consists of an eight-point star-shaped lantern. The most dramatic feature is to be found in the centre of the chapel: the enormous medieval tomb of Dom João I and his wife, Queen Philippa of Lancaster. Bays in the chapel walls contain the tombs of their sons, among them Prince Henry the Navigator.

The main entrance of the church is through the porch on the west facade. On both sides of this portal are sculptures of the twelve apostles standing on consoles. In the centre is a high relief statue of Christ in Majesty surrounded by the Evangelists, framed by six covings decorated with sculptures of biblical kings and queens, prophets and angels holding musical instruments from the Middle Ages.

As a monument charged with a symbolic value from its foundation, the Monastery of Batalha was, for more than two centuries, the great workshop of the Portuguese monarchy.

Whilst the monastery escaped the devastation of the 1755 earthquake it was badly damaged during the Peninsula War in 1810 when Napoleonic troops sacked the monastery. In the following years the building went into decline. King Fernando II initiated restoration works in 1840. This continued almost as long as the original build and saw Batalha added as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

Batalha Monastery today

The monastery blends a rich history with impressive architecture such as its vast vaulted ceilings, Batalha Monastery is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and also features as one of our top 10 tourist attractions in Portugal.

Getting to Batalha Monastery

Batalha is located 118km north of Lisbon, close to Fatima and Alcobaça. From Lisbon, trains run to Valado dos Frades and buses continue from there to Batalha. By car from Alcobaça, take the N8 northeast and the drive should be around 20 minutes.

History of Belém Tower

Built between 1514-1520 during the reign of King Manuel (and the height of the Portuguese Renaissance) by Portuguese architect and sculptor Francisco de Arruda, Belém Tower is sometimes known as The Tower of St Vincent as its construction celebrated the expedition to India of Vasco da Gama, the famous Portuguese explorer. It is considered one of the best examples of the architecture of its time, known as the Manuelino style, but it also includes distinctive Moorish features such as ornately decorated turrets.

The Tower served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon, as well as being used to defend the city. (Indeed a heavily armed 1,000 ton ship, the Grande Nau, guarded the estuary at the mouth of the Tagus until the fort’s completion).

The first suggestions of improving and strengthening the tower arose in 1571, when Francisco de Holanda advised the monarch that it was necessary to improve the coastal defences in order to protect the kingdom’s capital. Such suggestions continued throughout the tower’s history, and at various points over the centuries, the Belém Tower was fortified further to make it a stronger coastal artillery battery.

(Around 1655, the Tower also functioned as a customs control point and for navigation along the Tagus. Vessels were obliged to pay a tax as they entered the harbour, imposed incrementally).

The first moves to preserve the tower began in 1940, when the Ministry of Finance undertook small conservation works, followed by a project in 1953 to integrate the tower with the local shoreline. In 1983 the site hosted the 17th European Exhibition on Art, Science and Culture, and various projects involving the building were undertaken, before it received a full restoration from 1997-1998.

Belém Tower today

Now a UNESCO World Heritage site (since 1983) together with the nearby Jeronimos Monastery, Belém Tower is a beautiful mix of sturdy fortifications and intricate detail.

In 2007, the Belém Tower was included in the registry of the Seven Wonders of Portugal, and indeed features as one of our top ten tourist attractions in Portugal.

Getting to Belém Tower

Belém Tower is located about 6 miles from Lisbon. Tram 15 (or 15E) departs from Praça da Figueira, Belém (heading towards Algés – Jardim) runs every 10-15 minutes and takes about 25 minutes. Get out at Mosteiro dos Jerónimos stop, or two stops after at Largo da Princesa, closer to Belém Tower (then walk 5 minutes towards the River Tejo).

Alternatively, take the train heading to Cascais from Cais do Sodré station to Belém, which is 3 stops away, or bus lines 27, 28, 29, 43, 49, 51 and 112.

Bussaco Battlefield history

Fought on the 27 September 1810 marking the beginning of the three-year Peninsular War, the Battle of Bussaco saw the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington‘s Anglo-Portuguese army. Emperor Napoleon had ordered his marshal Masséna to drive back the British from Portugal, who began the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in April of 1810. The garrison held until it was exploded by the magazine on 26 August, allowing the French to march to Lisbon, although their advance was slowed by Wellington having destroyed bridges en route.

At the end of September 1810, the French met Wellington’s army of 50,000 on the ridge of Bussaco which rises to 509 metres, overlooking the road to Lisbon the French marched. Masséna underestimated Wellington’s numbers, as they hid out of sight behind the ridge and were ordered not to start cooking fires.

Wellington was attacked five times by 65,000 French, yet despite fierce fighting they were driven off. However, Wellington, after a night in the nearby convent, was forced to withdraw to the Lines of Torres Vedras after being outflanked by Masséna’s troops. The British and Portuguese both lost exactly 626 men.

Deprived of food for his men and harried by Anglo-Portuguese hit-and-run tactics, he lost a further 25,000 men captured or dead from starvation or sickness before he retreated into Spain early in 1811. This finally freed Portugal from French occupation except for the fortress of Almeida.

Bussaco Battlefield today

Today, visitors can stroll along the battle ridge lines marvelling at the incredibly steep climb the attacking French made. There is a small museum on the battlefield’s southern end displaying period weapons and mapping the battle.

For those wishing to relive the battle, you can stay at the welcoming Grand Palace Hotel situated in the verdant  Bussaco Forest, originally the 17th century monastery where Wellington rested the night before returning to the battle’s crescendo. The area is also known for its fine wine.

Getting to Bussaco Battlefield

Located along the rural mountain’s slopes, you can reach the Bussaco Battlefield via car by heading for the Museu Militar do Buçaco along the IC2 and N234 from Coimbra city. There is parking on site.

Built in 1389, Carmo Convent was the work of Nuno Ãlvares Pereira, an important figure in Portuguese military history – including in the victory at the Battle of Aljubarrota – turned member of the Carmelite Order.

In 1755, Carmo Convent was devastated by an earthquake and its picturesque ruins are now open to the public. The convent is also now home to the Museu Arqueologico do Carmo, with its collection ranging from prehistoric to medieval artefacts.

History of Carmo Convent

The monastery was founded in 1389, with the following decades seeing the presbytery and apse being added. By 1423, the residential cells were completed, allowing the Carmelites friars to inhabit the building.

It is known for its plain Gothic style, and compared to other churches in the area, the convent was known to be the most imposing in both its architecture and decoration. By 1551, the convent housed around 70 clergy and 10 servants.

A devastating earthquake in 1755 caused the arches and roof to cave in on the congregation as they were attending mass. It also completely destroyed the library, which housed approximately 5,000 volumes.

Minor repairs were carried out, but the convent was never fully repaired; instead, it was occupied by quarters of the Guarda Real de Policia (Police Royal Guard), used as a law court, rented out as a sawmilling shop, and, in the mid-19th century, used as a station for a municipal guard and cavalry squadron.

In 1864, the buildings and site were donated to the Association of Portuguese Archaeologists, who turned it into a museum.

Carmo Convent Today

Today, locals and visitors alike can enjoy the convent as a museum. In the place of the former main altar is a small archaeological museum with an eclectic collection of tombs – the largest one is of King Ferdinand I – ceramics, statues, and mosaics.

There is also an ancient Visigoth pillar and a Roman tomb carved with reliefs depicting the Muses. There are also shrunken heads, South African mummies, a jasper sculpture of the Virgin Mary, ancient tombstones, Visigothic artefacts, and coins which date back to the 13th century.

Getting to Carmo Convent

The best way to reach the convent is by using the Metro, and stopping at the Baixa-Chiado Station. By foot, it’s a 20 minute walk from the centre of Lisbon, via the Calçada Santana road. By car, it’s a 10 minute drive via R. dos Douradores, though it might prove difficult to find parking nearby.

History of Castelo de Almourol

Almourol Castle was built in the 12th century, on an islet in the middle of the Tagus River, as part of the defensive line held by the Knights Templar during the Portuguese Reconquista.

Although the site of Almourol Castle had been used as a fortification since at least Roman times the castle that stands today was primarily built under the Knights Templar, who began construction in 1171 AD. Subsequent excavations at the site have found evidence of this earlier Roman occupation, including the foundations of the Roman structure built here.

After the dissolution of the Templar Order in 1312 AD the castle was largely abandoned, particularly as the military situation in the area had changed meaning Almourol Castle was no longer of crucial strategic importance.

It was not until the Romanticist movement of the 19th century gathered pace that the castle became the subject of scrutiny once again, and it was largely restored at this time. Further restoration work took place in the mid-20th century.

Castelo de Almourol today

Today the castle’s distinctive location and Templar architecture has led to Almourol becoming a popular attraction and a noted symbol of the Reconquest. Small wonder then that it’s one of our picks for Portugal’s top 10 visitor attractions.

Getting to Castelo de Almourol

Castle of Almourol sits atop the islet of Almourol in the middle of the Tagus River, located in the civil parish of Praia do Ribatejo, 4 kilometres from the municipal seat of Vila Nova da Barquinha, in Portugal’s Center Region. The address of the location is Ilhota do Rio Tejo Praia do Ribatejo, Vila Nova da Barquinha.