The castle of Mértola is located on the highest point of the village. Even though the castle is of Muslim origin, the current building dates from a reconstruction carried out by the knights of the Order of Santiago after the village was taken by the Christians. The most notable feature of the castle is its 30 meter-high keep tower, finished around 1292, which has an inner hall covered with Gothic vaulting. The defences include a city wall, which still encircles the village. Read more →

Portugal might be a small country, about the size of Maine, but it offers a big variety of food, artistic practices, music, and traditional crafts among many other things. We’ve put together a list of experiences that are bucket-list essentials of a trip to Portugal and that you won't be able to get anywhere else. Read more →

Every Thursday Barcelos becomes a magnet for traders selling everything from jewelry, clothing, tools, and pottery to food and vegetables.  Read more →

Portugal has no entrance exam.  But it is sneaking up on 900 years of existence.  Like a good glass of wine there are many flavors, and hues Last year we offered our tongue-in-cheek Portuguese citizenship exam. It gained a few comments, and stumped a few people. As a result, here is the 2nd round of “So you think you know Portugal.” And the questions just got a tad harder. Read more →

This happened with other European nations as well. But, in Portugal – once the dark night of fascism ended, the dictatorship was gone – but its propaganda remains. In fact, I often have to pause and explain to colleagues that calling Portugal’s golden age an “Age of Discovery” can come off as colonialism and racist. Read more →

The magnificent Christmas light decorations all over Funchal, together with the fantastic New Year’s Eve fireworks and activities make Madeira Island one of the most attractive ‘réveillon’ destinations, to which already so many people return every year to experience this special ambience over and over again. Read more →

One of Portugal's most colorful festivals is back in 2019, with centuries of pageantry and tradition! The “Festa dos Tabuleiros” has been scheduled to run from June 29th to July 8th, 2019 in the historic city of Tomar.  “Festa dos Tabuleiros,” or Festival of Trays, happens every four years or so and is unique in the world Read more →

Who passes through Alcobaça Do not stop there without going back Try as you might Read more →

The Tomar Synagogue has reopen to the public after 11 months of preservation work. The project included the conservation and restoration of the monument (plastering, covering, electrical, acoustics, creation of exhibitions). Read more →

In Portugal, there's a typical saying whenever someone leaves but forgets to close the door behind them. "és de Braga?" or Are you from Braga? is the common reaction. But some people have no idea why, here's a possible explanation Read more →