Monasteries Route

Culture & Flavours

Our proposal of leisure travel aims to give you know the architectural heritage of the region of the West. We suggest as a first stop a visit to the Monastery of Batalha architectural monument of rare beauty erected in 1385 in the reign of D. João I. Then we will go to Alcobaça for a visit to the Monastery of Alcobaça. This monument was built by the monks of the order of Cister to whom D. Afonso Henriques donated these lands in 1153. Both monasteries are UNESCO world heritage.

After a trip to the fishing village of Nazaré, we suggest a lunch break where you can taste the famous "Caldeirada a Pescador", kind of fresh fish stew, wonderful to the palate . After lunch we will visit the beautiful and historic village of Óbidos with a visit to the castle. Here we invite you to a tasting of "Ginjinha", A fabulous liqueur produced in this region.

About places to visit

The Monastery of Batalha is a monument whose construction began in 1386 and was erected in fulfillment of a vote of King João I, king of Portugal, who promised to Our Lady its construction in case Portugal defeated Castile in the Battle of Aljubarrota on August 14, 1385. A masterpiece of Portuguese Gothic, it is a magnificent architectural example that mixes various influences resulting from its extensive period of construction that extended by several reigns.

The Monastery of Alcobaça is one of the most impressive and beautiful testimonies of the Cistercian architecture throughout Europe. Despite its almost 900 years, it preserves intact the set of medieval dependencies and its church is the largest in primitive Gothic style built in Portugal in the Middle Ages.

A typical fishing village, Nazaré is today a busy summer resort that has kept its traditions linked to the sea. The site, at the highest point of the village (which can be reached by an elevator) is without doubt its best viewpoint. The connection of the people of Nazaré to the sea is well evident in the local handicrafts, in which the nets, the floats, the baskets and the traditional dolls dressed in the typical costumes of seven skirts stand out, and in the gastronomy, predominating the dishes of Fish and seafood.

The beautiful village of Óbidos, with white houses adorned with bougainvillea and honeysuckle was conquered from the Moors by the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, in 1148. Later, D. Dinis donated it to his wife, Queen Santa Isabel. From then until 1883, the village of Obidos and the surrounding lands were always owned by the queens of Portugal. Surrounded by a belt of medieval walls and crowned by the Moorish castle rebuilt by D. Dinis, which today is an inn, Óbidos is one of the most perfect example of our medieval fortress.