"Marvão: The Unforgettable Village" Marvão by global84

Marvão is a small town in the Alto Alentejo region, only 8 km away from the Spanish border. A village inside a castle, Marvão is dominated by the wall that completely surrounds it. It is a part of the District of Portalegre not too far from Rio Tejo, and has about 3,700 residents as of 2004. The town is located at about 860 meters high.

Settled by the Romans and Visigoths during the pre-historic period, it was 715 when the Moors arrived here and the town finally appeared in history of Portugal. However, it was not until 1160 when Christians took over, and the town finally received the municipal charter in 1226. The old castle was replaced by a new one by the order of Dom Dinis, the "farmer" king of Portugal who is also famed for founding Coimbra University.

The town played an important role of defence during the War of Restoration in the 17th century against Spain, but lost its prominence after the event. The last historical event took place in Marvão in 1833, when the Liberals occupied the town against the Royalists, which was the only time that the town was captured.

Castelo de Marvão

The main entrance to the town is Portas de Ródão. After passing it, one will see rows of whitewashed houses on the streets as well as a number of small alleys. Strictly Moorish in style, the town has well-preserved its history for a number of centuries. Following the small streets, one can go to the castle side with a small park where one can rest and enjoy the view at the same time, whose surrounding is dominated by Igreja de Santa Maria. Here, one can admire a fantastic view of the plains of Alentejo dotted with many small villages, and a mountainous, hilly area of the Portugal-Spain border as well.

Old Houses in Marvão

If you have your own car, here is the fastest way from Lisbon:

Lisbon - A1 - > Torres Novas - A23 -> (To Portalegre) - IP2 -> Alpalhão - N246 -> Marvão
Duration: approx. 2.5 hours

If you are using a train, get off at Marvão-Beirã, a few kilometers away from the town. From Lisbon, one needs to change the train at Abrantes and Torres das Vargens. While there are two services on this route everyday, the overnight train to Madrid from Lisbon's Santa Apolónia station also makes a stop here at late night.

In addition, there are infrequent bus services to Marvão from Portalegre, Castelo de Vide, and Lisbon's Sete Rios terminal. Check at the turismo (tourist information center) for the latest schedule.

• Pros:Great view from/to/of the town, well-preserved nature
• Cons:Rather isolated location from major cities
• In a nutshell:If you want a breathtaking view, Marvão is the place to go!