Historical Villages, 3days

3 days exploring the historical villages

    1st day - Our first stop of the day is Idanha-a-Velha, a tiny town that doubles as an open air archeological museum. The town is situated where a former Roman city once stood in 1BC. Over time, it has been inhabited by Visigoths, Suebi, Muslims and Christians and was even donated to the Knights Templar in the 13th century. We’ll continue on to Monsanto, once deemed the Most Portuguese Town in Portugal. What’s so special about it? It’s perched high above the expansive valley below and is full of charm and character. Oh, and did we mention the town is built entirely around and under enormous boulders? Finally, we’ll end our day with a tour of the scenic town of Belmonte, set against the stunning backdrop of the Serra da Estrela mountains. Overnight in Belmonte.

    2nd day – Belmonte has the strongest Jewish presence in all of Portugal, with an active community and Jewish museum. We’ll stroll the narrow streets past stone houses, charming churches and visit the town’s ancient castle. From here we'll travel back in time towards Sortelha, known as "the star of stone" due to the shape of its old wall. Around here time seems to have stopped and it will be easy to slow the pace while walking through these small streets. Then we'll take a stunningly scenic drive through the Serra do Açor mountain range. As we climb, we’ll nearly touch the sky, passing by rows of enormous modern windmills. Just on the other side of the mountain’s peak, we’ll arrive at our first stop, the magical village of Piodão. This charming village is something plucked out of a fairy tale with a darling of a winter white church set against tightly stacked dark grey schist facades. Overnight in Piodão or Coimbra.

    3^rd day – Coimbra is known for its university, the oldest in all of Portugal and the 8th oldest in the world. We’ll tour the campus complex, complete with a visit to the 18th century library and book vault. You might even spot some of the student guides sporting the traditional black wool capes from centuries past. Then we'll down the "back-breacking" hill and learn why this city was classified by Unesco as a world Heritage site. Finish the day in Coimbra or Porto. 

    4th day (optional) - This morning, we’ll explore Porto to admire the many architectural styles that found across the city. We’ll visit the Porto Cathedral, the Clerigos and the São Bento train station to view the elaborate azulejos (tiles) that tell the story of the city. We’ll visit the one of the most beautiful bookstores in all the world said to have been the inspiration behind Harry Potter’s Hogwarts. We’ll stop for lunch where you might even choose to enjoy a Francesinha, the most typical dish of Porto. After lunch, we’ll head to the Ribeira, an ancient fisherman’s village and UNESCO World Heritage Site where crumbling row houses sit tightly shouldered at the water’s edge. We’ll walk across the famed Dom Luis I bridge and cross over into Vila Nova do Gaia to explore the labyrinth of Port wine lodges.

Price up to 2 persons: 2000€  / 4days: 2500€

Includes:

-   Entrance fee to Jewish museum in Belmonte

    University Campus and Library
Four days option also includes entrance fee to St Francis church in Porto and wine tasting in the Port cellars in Gaia. 

-     Licensed tour guide;

    Transportation in air-conditioned vehicle;