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

Home to a picture-perfect Old Town of rolling hills, Baroque church buildings, and a scenic riverfront, it is protected to say Lisbon is well one of the crucial unimaginable metropolis breaks in Europe.

As charming as it may be, it is also price stating that Lisbon has now develop into one of many most overtouristed cities within the Old Continent. With Portugal’s surging reputation, it is not just like the numbers are dwindling anytime quickly.

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

Óbidos

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

Its Old Town seems copied and pasted straight from a storybook for youngsters: it has a superbly preserved cobbled heart, with slender alleys organized in a maze-like manner, all lined with whitewashed homes and surrounded by partitions.

Other than being extremely picturesque, Óbidos is certain to enchantment to the candy fiends on the market: it is the proud dwelling of Ginja de Óbidos, a singular cherry liqueur served in an edible do-it-yourself chocolate cup. For one of the best cheeky ginjinha on the town, head straight to Bar Ibn Errik Rex.

Alenquer

A hilltop city with over 44,000 residents, a 1h bus trip from Lisbon (there aren’t 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 levels of tourism.

Similarly to Óbidos, it’s guarded by medieval partitions and dotted with medieval monuments, from the Twelfth-century Castle 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. Some of the nation’s greatest reds originate right here, together with the thick, velvety Castelão, and for those who’re driving, ensure you 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 may discover Palmela, a 63,000-people-strong fort city perched on a distinguished hill, looking onto the Atlantic, and even the Portuguese capital far within the distance.

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

If you are coming right here for the wine and meals, it is best to know Palmela’s Castelão, a fortified wine produced from a purple 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

Dating again over 2,700 years, which makes it one of many oldest continuously inhabited towns in Europe, Alcácer do Sal was initially established by the Phoenicians, and additional developed by the Romans, and afterward the Moors as a buying and selling put up.

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

Most importantly, it is called Portugal’s rice capital, and far of the native delicacies options the staple grain: duck rice, rice with seafood, candy rice desserts… you title it. On that be aware, ensure you try the aptly-named O Arrozeiro (the Rice Maker), proper on the banks of the Sado.

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

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead author at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ nations 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.