Move Over Lisbon! These 4 Gorgeous Towns Offer Medieval Charm & Smaller Crowds

Dwelling to a picture-perfect Previous City of rolling hills, Baroque church buildings, and a scenic riverfront, it is protected to say Lisbon is definitely one of the vital unbelievable metropolis breaks in Europe.

As charming as it may be, it is also value mentioning that Lisbon has now turn out to be one of many most overtouristed cities within the Previous Continent. With Portugal’s surging recognition, it isn’t just like the numbers are dwindling anytime quickly.

Fortunately, these 4 much-smaller historic cities a brief 1h–2h away are simply as stunning, and filled with medieval wonders with much more respiratory room:

Óbidos

A small village of about 3,100 inhabitants, a 1h49 practice journey away from Lisbon, or a good shorter 1h driving, Óbidos stands alongside Carcassonne, in France, and Dubrovnik, in Croatia, as one in all Europe’s best-preserved medieval treasures.

Its Previous City seems copied and pasted straight from a storybook for youngsters: it has a superbly preserved cobbled middle, with slim alleys organized in a maze-like method, all lined with whitewashed homes and surrounded by partitions.

Aside from being extremely picturesque, Óbidos is bound to attraction to the candy fiends on the market: it is the proud house of Ginja de Óbidos, a novel cherry liqueur served in an edible home made chocolate cup. For the perfect cheeky ginjinha on the town, head straight to Bar Ibn Errik Rex.

Alenquer

A hilltop city with over 44,000 residents, a 1h bus journey from Lisbon (there are not any trains working on this route), Alenquer is a type of uncommon cases of a Portuguese city but to be ruined by the nation’s overwhelming ranges of tourism.

Equally to Óbidos, it’s guarded by medieval partitions and dotted with medieval monuments, from the Twelfth-century Fort of Alenquer, to ornate church buildings like Igreja de Santa Maria da Várzea, characterised by its rib-vaulted ceiling and mix of Gothic and Portuguese Manueline parts.

Portugal is broadly celebrated for its wine, and to our fellow oenophiles, Alenquer is formally a wine area. Among the nation’s greatest reds originate right here, together with the thick, velvety Castelão, and for those who’re driving, be sure to set out on the Quintas de Alenquer route, visiting 12 close by estates.

Palmela

A handy 37-minute drive from Lisbon, throughout the Tagus, and into the Setúbal District, you will discover Palmela, a 63,000-people-strong citadel city perched on a distinguished hill, searching onto the Atlantic, and even the Portuguese capital far within the distance.

Palmela’s primary attraction is its Moorish fort, constructed by Islamic conquerors who have been current in Portugal for plenty of centuries earlier than the Christians took over as soon as once more. The citadel now homes a pousada (Portuguese for guesthouse), and a historic church.

In case you’re coming right here for the wine and meals, it’s best to know Palmela’s Castelão, a fortified wine constructed from a crimson grape that thrives in sandy soils, might be present in abundance right here, in addition to Queijo de Azeitão, a signature, tangy sheep’s milk served with cured meats and contemporary olives.

Alcácer do Sal

Relationship again over 2,700 years, which makes it one of many oldest constantly inhabited cities in Europe, Alcácer do Sal was initially established by the Phoenicians, and additional developed by the Romans, and in a while the Moors as a buying and selling submit.

It straddles the vital Sado River, notoriously recognized for its salt manufacturing and fishing tradition, and between the fairytale medieval citadel and the idyllic stone-paved pathways, peppered with family-run eating places and boutique outlets, Alcácer has quite a bit to supply vacationers.

Most significantly, it is named Portugal’s rice capital, and far of the native delicacies options the staple grain: duck rice, rice with seafood, candy rice desserts… you identify it. On that observe, be sure to take a look at the aptly-named O Arrozeiro (the Rice Maker), proper on the banks of the Sado.

Ordering a starter + a primary rice dish + dessert and a drink will set you again between $25–$35.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead author at Journey Off Path, has over 60+ international locations below his belt (and at present weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative tales that can have you ever packing your baggage.