4 Castelos a não perder em Portugal

Portugal tem mais de 400 castelos e fortificações que já têm marcas de construção de meados do século V. Terra de muitas guerras, com tribos espanholas, mouros, francesas e mesmo outras mais antigas, tem uma rica história de fortificações que permitem a Portugal ser um dos países mais antigos do mundo. Os castelos portugueses estendem-se de norte a sul e têm várias histórias para contar!

Guimarães

In Guimarães, we can find a castle that has the first records in the second half of the X century. It is seen as the castle of the cradle of Portugal, where we can also visit the “Paço dos Duques de Bragança” which was the manor residence of the Dukes of Bragança. This castle was built when the Portuguese County did not yet exist. It was during the reign of Afonso VII of León and Castile that it gained a new look and became a reference castle for the defense of the County.

Sagres 

A Fortaleza de Sagres, também conhecida como Castelo de Sagres, é uma fortaleza de grande significado histórico para Portugal. Localizada a leste do Cabo de S. Vicente, a fortaleza situa-se num promontório íngreme a 40 metros do mar. Foi um miradouro privilegiado na costa portuguesa e foi também o ponto de partida de várias descobertas marítimas. Dentro das muralhas do forte, podemos encontrar não só uma igreja, alguns edifícios militares, mas também flora e fauna únicas. Belas praias também podem ser vistas nesta zona de Portugal.

O castelo mouro em Sintra

During the X century, the Moors were ruling the Iberian Peninsula, and Sintra was one of their strategic defensive points. In 1147, the Moors transferred the castle and Sintra to Afonso Henriques, king of Portugal. With its strategic overlook of the ocean and all the plain lands from Sintra to Lisbon, this was a stronghold for military reasons. The Moorish castle is one of the must-see places in the Lisbon area. A visit to this castle is also a great opportunity to visit Palácio da Pena, a palace full of colors that make Sintra an even more magical place!

Castle of São Jorge in Lisbon

This is one of the iconic castles that make Lisbon a unique city in the world. Castle of São Jorge, as it’s named, is located on the top of one of the seven hills of Lisbon. Its location gave the city a strong fortification for several centuries. Before the castle was built, there was a fortified city under Islamic rule during the XIII century, and later, the castle was built as we know it by the Portuguese Kings during several years after Lisbon was conquered. This castle is today a landmark and a nacional building preserved for all the world to see Lisbon in a new set of eyes.

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