Caramulo
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Caramulo - The Caramulo Mountains are a secret and enchanting place of marked contrasts, a cornucopia of images between peaks and valleys, where the healthy air combines with the dazzling landscape to offer an irresistible treat for those who wish to wind down from the tensions of daily life in the city. The former Spa town, Caramulo, has a famous museum of vintage cars and an art collection containing works by Picasso, Dali and other modern masters. |
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Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco - White Castle - rises on the slope of a hill that dominates a plateau region; thus its historical function as a defensive fortress which is confirmed by the castle, from where one can view a panorama that stretches until the frontier and the slopes of Gardunha, overlooking the upper course of the river Tagus. the city´s main attraction is the extraordinary Jardim do Paço (Bishop´s Palace gardens), created in the 18th century by bishop João de Mendonça. |
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Celorico da Beira
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Celorico da Beira - Standing on a hill which commands a vast panorama, Celorico da Beira is surrounded by pastures which have been a source of the finest Portuguese cheese, the Serra, named after the "Star Mountain". The town´s streets, flanked by granite houses with Gothic doors and Manueline windows, gargoyles or brackets jutting out of the walls also speak of this impressive past. The Mother Church, restored in the 18th century, exhibits a painted coffered ceiling. |
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Góis
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Góis - The town of Góis, more than eight centuries old, lies in a narrow and deep valley, between the mountains of Carvalhal and of Rabadão. Besides the Renaissance mother church of Santa Maria Maior, it is worth admiring the Manueline Bridge with its three arches, the Castle, and the panels on the ceiling of the Paços do Concelho, representing fantasy and biblical figures; in the environs, various chapels offer dazzling views, such as the chapel of Santo António das Neves, in the middle of the Serra da Lousã and which is still within the county´s limits. |
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Guarda
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Guarda - Standing on a bleak hill on the northeast flank of the Serra da Estrela mountainous ridge, Guarda was founded in 1197 and is Portugal's highest city (at 1056 metres or 3465 feet). Its name cames from its role as a guard to the frontier and it still keeps a rather forbidding and austere aspect. The Gothic cathedral, ressembling a fortress, began to be built in 1390 and was only concluded in 1540; the graceful interior contrasts with the imposing façade and the retable exhibits 100 carved figures by Jean de Rouen. Another religious monument worth visiting is the 17th-century Miserichord Church with its Baroque altars and pulpits. |
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Mira
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Mira - Has an interesting parish church from 1690 with a fine painted ceiling and decorated with glazed tiles. Praia de Mira nestles between the sand dunes and the Atlantic, on one side, and the tranquil lagoon of Barrinha (good for boating, swimming and water sports) on the other, and is proud of its typical fishing boats, painted with bright colours and with a high prow. |
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Obidos
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Obidos - Resembling an open-air museum, this walled medieval town has been preserved to look like a picture-postcard, with its monuments, narrow winding streets and whitewashed houses with windows and terraces full of flowers. Its charm has crossed the ages: in 1282, the town was given as a present by king Dinis to his Spanish bride, Isabel of Aragon. From Porta da Vila, the southern town gate whose interior is decorated with 18th century tiles, to Rua Direita, a street filled with small shops where visitors can buy traditional ceramics, wicker baskets, miniature windmills and handmade embroidery and woolen articles, and to the 15th century royal castle that has been converted into a Pousada. Guided Tours (Departing from Lisbon) |
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Reservation: reservation@lmho.net 
