Portugal Expert®
January , 2024
Óbidos is a small town in the West Coast of Portugal, famous for having a lot of preserved medieval buildings, resulting in a very romantic atmosphere. At about an hour away from Lisbon, it is near Peniche and Caldas da Rainha.
Óbidos was one of the many places conquered by Portugal’s first King, Dom Afonso Henriques. Dom Dinis gifted it to his wife and the town remained on the possession several Portuguese Queens.
This very picturesque small town managed to preserve a lot of its heritage and seems like a trip to the past. Óbidos is still surrounded by walls and the castle is impressive.
The Castle was rebuilt during Dom Dinis reign (late 13th and 14th centuries) and it was altered by other Kings as well. The Castle now houses a Pousada – a charming historical hotel.
The town’s walls date to 13th and 14th centuries and are 13 meters high.
The picturesque houses inside the walls are all white and many keep the medieval architecture, forming a labyrinth of small streets within the walls.
The Santa Maria church is an ancient church rebuilt on the 16th century and it has an admirable interior with works from the renowned local painter Josefa de Óbidos (1630-1684).
Nearby there is also the Senhor da Pedra Church that dates back to the 18th century and is particularly known for a mystical stone cross with a representation of Jesus Christ.
Besides its heritage, Óbidos is one of the most famous places to drink a very well loved drink in Portugal – ginjinha. This is a sweet liquor made out the infusion of sour cherries (‘ginjas’) with alcohol and added sugar. In Óbidos it is quite common to serve it on a small chocolate cup that you can eat afterwards.
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