With the European debt crisis insisting on opening almost all TV news reports I found myself wondering about how to make some savings in my next vacations... And how about paying a visit to my home country? Residing in Europe, flying to Portugal isn't too expensive and the prices of hotels and restaurants there are rather competitive. When it comes to cheap holiday my beloved country is in fact a player and, although it is best know for it's warm climate and for the beautiful beaches of Algarve, Portugal has much more to offer ;)
Today I'll take you to the center of the country, more precisely to the Ribatejo region. The capital of this region is the city of Santarém, conquered to the Moorish in March of 1147 by the army of Portugal's first king: D. Afonso Henriques. The elevated position of Santarém's castle was back then of crucial importance in order to ensure the defense of the fertile plains near the Tagus river. High on the top of the hills the old Moorish castle has some beautiful gardens one can visit and it's still nowadays the spot with the best view in town.
With many Gothic references in it's architecture the historical center of Santarém is a fantastic place. Since it's not that big in area it's easy to visit on foot. From the Market to the Churches, from the Monasteries to the Parks and Plazas it's always a pleasure to walk around in the city's narrow streets (see photo above). Do remember to stop by the
Bijou cafe and ask for box of
Celestes, the typical cakes of Santarém made with a sweet egg cream - in one word, delicious! :)
Not very far from Santarém, I would say no further then 50 kilometers away, another unique Portuguese castle called Almourol. Like the castle of Santarém, the Almourol was also an important piece of the Tagus defense line. The location chosen for this fortress is what makes it one of a kind, as you can see above it was built on a small little island right in the middle of the river. One advice though, make sure to go there during the day so you can catch the small boat to visit the island - it's worth it!
As usual a big thanks to Open Galleries for the
castle photos ;)
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