Monsaraz Travel Guide

  Monsaraz - Portugal
by solopes
 
  • Monsaraz - Portugal
      Monsaraz - Portugal
    by solopes
  • Monsara - Portugal
      Monsara - Portugal
    by solopes
  • Monsaraz - Portugal
      Monsaraz - Portugal
    by solopes
  • Monsaraz
      Monsaraz
    by solopes
  • Approaching Monsaraz, Portugal
      Approaching Monsaraz, Portugal
    by Martin_S.
 

Explore Monsaraz

Things to Do  

Typical Town

Typical Town, Monsaraz

 solopes Says:  In a plane and dry area called Alentejo, some hills are usually chosen to concentrate the small towns. In the plane, Reguengos de Monsaraz is a new town that became capital of large scale wine producing, but atop the hill, inside the medieval walls, the old town has been... 

S. João church

S. João church, Monsaraz

 solopes Says:  Discreetly lined with the white houses, there's a small church that (it seems - I couldn´t read much about it) is dedicated to St John. It was closed, so I don't know how to visit it (and if it deserves to be visited or not) 

Antigos Passos da Audiência

Antigos Passos da Audiência, Monsaraz

 solopes Says:  By the church, in the northern side of the small square, there's an interesting building called "Antigos Passos da Audiência". I tried to read about it, but, so far, I couldn´t find much. It is a building from the 12th to the 14th century and its name suggests that it was... 

Church

Church, Monsaraz

 solopes Says:  Built in the 16Th century, during the black pest, because the older one couldn't receive all the dead needing sepulture. It has a heavy and strong look, almost Romanic, but it was built according to Renaissance plans. It has a gilded altar and some tombs 

Governor's house

Governor's house, Monsaraz

 solopes Says:  All houses in Monsaraz respect the general medieval look. Some of them are really old and classified, as, for instance the Governor's house, used in the old days by the military governor and the out-coming judges, nowadays belonging to Evora university. 

Main door

Main door, Monsaraz

 solopes Says:  Cars are not allowed inside the walls, but parking is easy near the main door of the walled village. To preserve the village most of its live and development was transferred to Reguengos de Monsaraz, in the plane and not too far. Monsaraz lives to and from tourism, and... 

Christmas peace

Christmas peace, Monsaraz

 solopes Says:  Tourism in winter decreases, and imagination is needed. In Monsaraz, they decided to create a nativity scene, at human scale, and spread it all over the city. We were there in a cold night, and got impressed by the calm an silence surrounding the presentation. 

The Castle

The Castle, Monsaraz

 solopes Says:  At the very end of Monsaraz main street there's the castle. It has a particularity - I think that it is the only one that houses... a bullring. Funny detail, in a building that dominates a very beautiful small city inside its walls. 

Hotels  

Horta Da Moura

 1 Review and 8 Opinions  Close to Monsaraz village, you will find a dated but comfortable (kind of) Inn. Large rooms, with a... 

Vila Planicie

 3 Opinions

Restaurants  

santiago: alentejo cuisine
quartinb profile photo

4.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

quartinb 451 reviews
monsaraz

a nice with good ambience restaurant. the alentejo gastronomy at it's best and a charming panoramic view.
very small with a 40 person capacity, and well atendant staff.
one of the 4/5 restaurants in the premisses and the favorite to choose.

Updated Oct 11, 2005

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Transportation  

By car

By car, Monsaraz

 micas_pt Says:  Traffic is restricted within the village. You must park your car outside the walls, on a free parking. The park is very near the entrance door, so you won’t have to walk for a long time. The road to arrive in Monsaraz, driving from Reguengos, is winding and very scenic, so... 

Local Customs  

bullfight arena

bullfight arena, Monsaraz

 quartinb Says:  i am totally against bullfighting. and i don t like to see it. thou' the sight of a bull fight arena, inside a mediavel castle caught my eye. off course then this was a kinda of a gladiator arena, on ancient times, and is now used by locals as a bullfight arena, a very... 

Bullfight

Bullfight, Monsaraz

 micas_pt Says:  Bullfighting is a traditional custom of Alentejo. Although bullfighting in Portugal is different from the one practiced in Spain (in Spain the bull is killed on the arena and in Portugal it is forbidden to kill the bull as part of the show), there are some villages near the... 

Off The Beaten Path  

reguengos

reguengos, Monsaraz

 quartinb Says:  Reguengos de Monsaraz is a wine-making town. Here, as in Monsaraz, blankets are woven and furniture painted in the traditional style.The name Reguengos signified a parcel of land on which the tenant owed dues directly to the crown. if you are in the area and you want more... 

Reguengos de Monsaraz

Reguengos de Monsaraz, Monsaraz

 micas_pt Says:  Reguengos de Monsaraz is a small town situated near Monsaraz. The center of the town has an interesting church to visit (the one on my photo).Reguengos might be an option for having a meal or doing some shopping, as this town provides a wider choice of restaurants and shops... 

Favorites  

Monsaraz, a town of stone

Monsaraz, a town of stone, Monsaraz

 Martin_S. Says:  During our circut of the entire village of Monsaraz we found almost no shade at all. In the following photos you can see that it is as if the entire village was carved out of the stone of the mountain upon which it sits. No trees, no shrubs, no gardens, no water....nothing,... 

Monsaraz Castle

Monsaraz Castle, Monsaraz

 Martin_S. Says:  Yes of course, like any decent self sufficient village there MUST BE a castle, and sure enough there is. Found at the extreme end you can climb the walls and have great views both back into the village that supported the castle, or out into the surrounding countryside. The... 

Igreja Matriz on main square

Igreja Matriz on main square, Monsaraz

 Martin_S. Says:  This was the largest church we saw on the main square and it was closed. But as you can see from our photos we found no people outside on the streets, almost as if the entire village was a musuem.So, while we could not get in to see the interior of the church, I did find... 

Things seen around the village of Monsaraz

Things seen around the village of Monsaraz, Monsaraz

 Martin_S. Says:  Monsaraz - I found the following information on the internet:Perched above the River Guardiana on the frontier with Spain, the tiny medieval walled town of Monsaraz is one of the most atmospheric places in the Alentejo. With its narrow cobbled lanes, low-rise old houses and... 

Anta (Dolmen) Olival da Pega

Anta (Dolmen) Olival da Pega, Monsaraz

 Martin_S. Says:  Not to far from Monsaraz is the Anta Olival da Pega (dolmen or cromlech), an ancient burial site that is hidden off the main road amid a pastoral setting and hard to find since there is only a tiny sign at the actual spot itself. The sign showing the turnoff is prominent but... 

Monsaraz is HERE

Monsaraz is HERE, Monsaraz

 Bwana_Brown Says:   One of the old border castles protecting the frontier with Spain, Monsaraz is an easy drive east of Evora. The countryside in this whole part of Portugal, the Alentejo, is very pleasant and the roads are excellent, no matter which class of road you choose to reach your... 

Comments

 
Explore Deeper into Monsaraz
Casa D. Antónia: Turismo Rural - Casa D. Antónia
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Casa Pinto
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Castle Gate
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top of the world
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roofs
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doors doors
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windows windows
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tourist house
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inquisition house
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the town itself
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Monte Saraz
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parish church
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modesto: family housing
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straight paths
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Hand crafts
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By the water
Off The Beaten Path
Alqueva
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View
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Small streets
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Estalagem De Monsaraz
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Arena
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The castle
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Location
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Tourism Office
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Mercy Hospital
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Parish church
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Map of Monsaraz