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Great Castles of Portugal
Castelo de Almourol in Ribatejo, near Lisbon, Portugal (cc)
Photo: Migaspinto
Great Castles of Portugal: The 10 Most Famous Castles in Portugal
Portugal has its fair share of castles and fortresses, though mainly from the Moorish and Reconquista eras. There are actually nearly 200 of them still standing, the majority of them near Lisbon and along Portugal's border with Spain, that attest to this small, ancient, defiant country's resolve to defend itself. These castles offer an interesting contrast between the Moors' and the Crusaders' approaches to fortification, and several of them are worth seeing. Still, of the tour-worthy ones, here the the 10 best, most popular and most famous castles in Portugal.
[ Pages of interest: Great Castles of France and Best Small Towns of Portugal ]
Castelo de São Jorge
Location: Lisbon
Castelo de Almourol
Location: Ribatejo, near Lisbon
Óbidos Castle
Location: Óbidos, (subregion Oeste, district of Leiria)
Castelo dos Mouros
Location: Sintra
Castelo de Arraiolos
Castelo de Arraiolos is a rare medieval castle fortification in the district of Évora, with the main structure plunked smack in the middle of wide, circular defensive wall that takes in the entire hilltop. The castle was begun in the early 13th century under Alfonso II, and offers commanding views of the surrounding lands.
Location: Arraiolos, (Évora District)
Castelo de Santa Maria da Feira
Location:
Castelo de Montemor-o-Velho
Location:
Castelo de Evoramonte
Castelo de Evoramonte, or Evoramonte Castle, is a 16th-century castle perched on the escarpment of the Serra d' Ossa, with commanding views of ancient routes. It is, however, one of the more unusual castles of Portugal, consisting of a rectangular, three-story structure with cylindrical towers molded into the building. Architecturally, while begun in the Gothic period, it was enlarged in later centuries in the Manueline style, thus largely embodies the characteristics of the latter. It is now preserved as a Portuguese National Monument
Location: Evoramonte (municipality Estremoz, district Évora)
Palácio Nacional de Pena
Location: Sintra
Palácio Nacional de Queluz
Location: Lisbon
© Indian Chief Travel Guides
Last updated November 30, 2013
Posted in Portugal | Great Castles of Portugal
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