Lisbon, the capital of Portugal is rightly described as pearl of Portugal. The vibrant, cosmopolitan city is picturesquely situated on seven hills and looks back on an eventful history. Due to its location at the mouth of the Tagus it was already an important port city during the time of the Phoenicians and Romans. Although […]
Palacio Nacional da Pena – Portugal
The Palacio Nacional da Pena lies above the Portuguese town of Sintra. The palace was built by the Portuguese titular King Ferdinand II in 1840 on the ruins of a monastery and served as summer residence for the royal family. Ferdinand was married to Mary II out of the House of Braganza. Inevitably one feels […]
Evora – UNESCO World Heritage Site in Portugal
Evora, located in the heart of Portugal – the Alentejo region – was already inhabited in the Neolithic period. Evora was extended during the colonization of Portugal by the Romans. A huge viaduct, the castle and the beautiful Diana Temple are surviving memorials of this period. Later the Moors enlarged the castle and built a […]
Santa Maria de Belem
Santa Maria de Belem, Lisboa – Lisbon – was barely destroyed in the great earthquake of 1755. Therefore some important places of interest have been preserved. One is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos – Hieronymites Monastery – where the sarcophagus of Vasco da Gama is next to the tombs of some Portuguese poets and kings. The […]