"Alcobaca and the West" a Alcobaça Travel Page by solopes

Alcobaca is a beautiful small town in the centre of Portugal, well located to quick access to most of Portuguese beauties.
In Alcobaca you must see the imposing monastery, a world masterpiece of the early Gothic. Don't miss the cloisters, the dining room, and the kitchen. Of course, you can't miss in the main corps, the tombs of Pedro and Ines, a real Portuguese history of Romeo and Juliet. Facing the tombs, ask a nearby Portuguese his opinion about Napoleon and his soldiers?
The surroundings of the monastery mix well antiquity and modernity, and, being so small, the town is excellent to wander a while. Make a pleasant pause in the gardens around town hall and the local court.
The castle is an abandoned ruin, only serving as good photo spot of the monastery.
Nothing very special in the local museum, but if you go 2kms north towards Leiria, stop at the interesting "Museu do Vinho" (wine museum).
And, with time, accept my suggestions in "To Do Tips" and explore the region. You will not be waisting your time.

Ines de Castro was a Galician noblewoman that came to Portugal with the princess Constanca of Castile, the new wife of prince Pedro, the heir to the throne. Peter fell in love with her for the concern of his father, King Afonso IV, worried with the approach of Castilians to the throne. He couldn't stop the romance, and, after Constanca death, with Pedro refusing to marry someone else but Ines, the king decided to have her killed.
Pedro reacts starting a civil war until his father death. Becoming king, Pedro announced a secret marriage with Ines, declaring her queen of Portugal. He took is body from the grave, sat her on the throne, and forced all the court to honor her as queen.
Giving her back to the grave, he ordered that he would be buried in an opposite position, so that, after the final judgment, the first thing they would see was each other face.
The two wonderful tombs may be seen in the Monastery of Alcobaça, in the position ordered by King Pedro.

The cloister, composed by four galleries with changing decorative motifs, surrounding a beautiful garden, is the entrance to several rooms deserving a visit: the Chapter House, the parlour, the wine cellar and the huge kitchen. Located in the cloister, there's a beatiful Renaissance lavabo.