Castelo de Vide Guide
Portugal City Travel Guide: Castelo de Vide
Castelo de Vide is a lovely town with a castle in the Alto Alentejo region. It can easily be visited along with nearby Marvão with which it has several similarities. Monsaraz, over 120 km to the south is another Alentejan fortress town in the same heavenly mold.
Castelo de Vide has a castle as its name suggests and also a spa. It is also larger, more a small town of around 3,500 inhabitants in the wider municipality, rather than a village of mainly elderly people, like Marvão.
There are schools, a cinema, a sports stadium and a public swimming pool and the town is not totally reliant on tourism, though that is still very important to the local economy.
The history of the area is one of occupation by Romans, Visigoths and then Muslims before the gradual Christian Reconquest of the area during the 12th and 13th centuries.
The attractions in Castelo de Vide include a 14th-century castle and a 14th-century synagogue in its Judairia (Jewish Quarter) - the oldest surviving synagogue in Portugal and one of only two preserved medieval synagogues in Portugal. The other one is the synagogue of Tomar.
Jews settled here from the 12th century with more arriving from Spain in the 15th century after the Alhambra Decree of 1492 ordered their expulsion from Castile and Aragon. The building is divided into two rooms for men and women and contains a wooden tabernacle. The interior is now a museum dedicated to the history of the Jewish community on the Iberian Peninsula. One famous Jewish son of the town is the physician and herbalist Garcia de Orta who was active in Goa during the Age of Discovery.
There's a historic pelourinho (pillory), too, just outside the tourist office in Praça de Dom Pedro V, close to the pretty Igreja Matriz.
Other churches in the town include the 17th-century Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Alegria within the inner walls of the castle.
The Castelo de Castelo de Vide was built by Dom Dinis and his brother Afonso between 1280 and 1365. The 12-meter high square tower on the southern side affords superb views over the town. Inside the castle is a small museum part Military Museum, part Archaeological Museum.
The town is also known for its mineral water which bubbles to the surface from various springs around town. The most famous is the Fonte da Vila which dates from the 16th century and includes a communal laundry area.
Salgueiro Maia (1944-1992) one of the heroes of the 1974 Carnation Revolution was born in the town. His tomb is also here.
Nearby
In the surrounding countryside are several ancient megaliths. The best are Anta da Melriça, northwest of the town and the Menhir da Maeda about 13 km north off the M1006. The Menhir da Maeda is the highest standing stone in Iberia at 7 meters.
Visitors can pick up a map of all the Neolithic sites in the area from the Tourist Office.
The Roman ruins of Ammaia are located 7 km south of Marvão on the road to Portalegre. The Roman town of Ammaia is believed to have been founded during the reign on the Emperor Claudius in the 1st century. Structures that still stand include parts of a Roman wall with gate and towers as well as remains of a residence, public bath, forum and temple.
Castelo de Vide Tourist Office
Castelo de Vide Tourist Office
Praça D. Pedro V
7320-123 Castelo de Vide
Tel: 245 901 361.
Find information on where to stay and eat in the town and surrounding area.
Getting to Castelo de Vide
Train Travel in Portugal
Castelo de Vide is not connected by railway any more. The beautifully-tiled station closed and is now a pension, the Pensão Destino.
Interestingly, the former Marvão-Beirã Station has also been converted into accommodation. It closed in 2011 and has now become the Train Spot Guesthouse.
The nearest train station is now in Portalegre, 20 km to the south. There are daily trains from Portalegre to Lisbon (3 hours, 30 minutes) changing at Entroncamento or Abrantes - take a shuttle bus from the bus station to the Estação de Portalegre.
Car Travel in Portugal
Castelo de Vide is on the N246 and M253 (through the Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede) from Portalegre.
Evora (1 hour, 40 minutes on the IP2), Elvas (1 hour, 20 minutes) and Estremoz (1 hour, 10 minutes) are all within easy driving distance. Lisbon is around 226 km away. The quickest route on the highway would take around 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Bus Travel in Portugal
Castelo de Vide has bus connections with Portalegre and Marvão.
From Portalegre there are fairly frequent buses to Sete Rios Bus Station in Lisbon. Journey times vary from 2 hours, 45 minutes to over 4 hours depending on the route and stops on the way.
There are also bus connections from Portalegre to Elvas (90 minutes), Evora (90 minutes), Castelo Branco (110 minutes) and Estremoz (50 minutes).
Portugal Hotel & Hostel Accommodation
Recommended places to stay in and around Castelo de Vide include the three-star Hotel Castelo de Vide. This comfortable hotel offers an outdoor swimming pool and breakfast.
Also recommended are the three-star INATEL Castelo De Vide with bar and restaurant plus bicycle hire, the three-star Hotel Sol e Serra has a swimming pool and bar and the Hotel Casa do Parque, also a three-star hotel with restaurant.
The Pensão Destino is a hostel in what used to be the former Castelo de Vide Station. It retains the original features of the lovely old station including its azulejos tiling.
See here for a complete listing of hotels and guest houses in Castelo de Vide.
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Lisbon Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, Tramcars, and Yellow Boat River Tour
Eating
Try the local cuisine of Alentejo at the recommended Restaurante A Confraria serving fine local dishes and wine. Restaurante O Miguel at Rua Almeida Sarzedas 34 offers hearty regional meals at reasonable prices.
Drinking
Pirolito at Rua Almeida Sarzedas 20 has fine local wines and delicious tapas.
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Internet
Your hotel or guest house should provide free WiFi.
The average high June temperatures for Portugal is between 22 degrees Centigrade and 26 degrees Centigrade.
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