Portugal Archives - Hoblets On The Go

Portugal: National Palace of Mafra

During our recent holiday in Portugal, we spent an unforgettable afternoon exploring the magnificent National Palace of Mafra, marvelling at its opulent Baroque architecture, strolling through its vast library filled with centuries-old tomes, and wandering the beautifully manicured gardens, all while imagining the grandeur of royal life that once animated its echoing halls.

Portugal: Elvas

Elvas, Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is renowned for its impressive star-shaped fortifications, historic aqueduct, and rich military history near the Spanish border.

Chapel of bones - Evora, Portugal

Portugal: Évora – Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos)

The Chapel of Bones, is a hauntingly beautiful monument adorned with human skulls and bones, inviting visitors to reflect on the fleeting nature of life.

Portugal: Évora

Évora, Portugal, a UNESCO World Heritage city, is renowned for its well-preserved medieval architecture, Roman Temple, and charming whitewashed houses, offering a glimpse into the country’s rich history and culture.

Portugal: The Parks of Sintra

The parks of Sintra, such as the lush Parque da Pena and the mystical Monserrate Gardens, enchant visitors with their romantic landscapes, exotic flora, and fairy-tale ambiance, making them a haven for nature lovers and history enthusiasts alike.

Portugal: Lisbon – “City of Seven Hills”

Lisbon, the vibrant capital of Portugal, is known for its stunning hills, historic trams, pastel-coloured buildings, and rich maritime heritage.

Portugal: Lisbon – Castelo de São Jorge

Castelo de São Jorge, perched atop a hill in Lisbon, offers stunning panoramic views of the city and the Tagus River, showcasing centuries of Moorish and medieval history.

Portugal: Lisbon – Igreja de São Vicente de Fora

Igreja de São Vicente de Fora is a stunning 16th-century church and monastery in Lisbon, Portugal, known for its impressive Baroque architecture, rich azulejo tilework, and as the final resting place of the Braganza monarchs.

Portugal: Lisbon – National Tile Museum

The National Coach Museum in Belém, Lisbon, houses one of the world's finest collections of ornate royal carriages, showcasing the evolution of horse-drawn transport from the 16th to the 19th century.

Portugal: Lisbon – National Coaches Museum

The National Coach Museum in Belém, Lisbon, houses one of the world's finest collections of ornate royal carriages, showcasing the evolution of horse-drawn transport from the 16th to the 19th century.

The amazing cloisters - Mosteiro dos Jeronimos - Monastery Jeronimos, Lisbon, Portugal

Portugal: Lisbon – Jerónimos Monastery & Belém Tower

Jeronimos Monastery and Belém Tower, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Lisbon, Portugal, showcase stunning Manueline architecture and stand as iconic symbols of the city's rich maritime history.

Portugal: Leiria – Alcobaça Monastery

The Abbey of Alcobaça, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is one of Europe’s most important Cistercian abbeys, given its state of conservation and its architecture, symbolic of the order.

Portugal: Leiria – Batalha Monastery

Batalha Monastery is the most important Portuguese gothic building and quite a prominent one in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe. It is also the cradle of manueline architecture. The monastery was first listed as National Monument in 1907 and 1910, and as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary - Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, Portugal

Portugal: Santarém – Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima

Over a century ago, the village of Fátima in central Portugal was a rustic enclave devoted to sheep herding. Today, it’s a major Catholic pilgrimage site. The Santuário de Fátima, built where visions and miracles purportedly took place in 1917, attracted 9.4 million visitors in its centenary year.

Portugal: Santarém – The Monastery of Christ

The Convent of Christ is a former Catholic convent in Tomar, Portugal. Originally a 12th-century Templar stronghold, when the order was dissolved in the 14th century the Portuguese branch was turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ.

Portugal: Coimbra – The University of Coimbra

Coimbra University is one of the oldest in Europe and one of only five in the world listed as a World Heritage Site . It was founded in 1290, and occupies its current building since 1544. It’s the former royal palace, but very little remains of the royal residence.

Portugal: Porto – Historical Centre

Located along the Douro River estuary in northern Portugal, Porto is one of the oldest European centers and its core was proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996, as the "Historic Centre of Porto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar".

Portugal: Porto – Igreja do Carmo

The Igreja do Carmo & Igreja dos Carmelitas are two churches in Porto divided by a narrow, 1m-wide house, built to separate monks and nuns.

Portugal: Porto – Porto Cathedral

Dating to the twelfth century, Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto in Portuguese) is the most important religious edifice in the city and has been declared a National Monument.