Living Travel - Monsaraz, Portugal
Perched high above the River Guadiana close to the frontier with Spain, the tiny medieval walled village of Monsaraz to the east of Évora is one of the most atmospheric places in the entire Alentejo region. With its narrow cobbled lanes, low-rise houses and striking picture-book castle, visitors can feel the true essence of medieval Portugal in one of the oldest places in southern Europe. Monsaraz has been inhabited since prehistoric times as the Celts, Romans, Visigoths and Moors each took full advantage of the hill's defensive potential. Regained from the Moors in 1167, the town was handed over to the Knights Templar before King Dinis added the castle and fortified walls in the 14th century. From the ramparts you can gaze east over the Guadiana to neighbouring Spain, or west across the great plains of the Alentejo. In recent years, the village has become a popular stopover for visitors travelling by boat on the vast Alqueva reservoir, one of the largest man-made lakes in Europe.
View of a small part of the Alqueva dam/lake which is one of the largest in western Europe (250 sq. km or 97 sq. miles).
For much of the way from Evora to Monsaraz we travel parallel to the reservoir.
View of Monsaraz from most of the way up the hill from the main road, with the castle on the left;
the church on the right is about 2/3 of the way along the length of the village (from the right)
Entrance to the main (almost only) street in Monsaraz
Looking back from the above point to the few house outside the wall
Entering the main street, walking from one end of the village to the other doesn't take very long
Walking down the main street, coming to the church
Walking further along the main street, we soon come to the castle at the end of the village
Across the castle we can see the Alqueva reservoir again
Looking back from the castle wall to the village
Looking back from the castle wall to the village
