Castelo

The Beiras


There’s little left of Castelo Branco's hilltop castle, which was built by the Knights Templar in the 13th century and subsequently extended by Dom Afonso IV a century or so later. Nowadays, a phone mast stands where the chapel once was and a garden has supplanted the walls. However, there are grand views to be enjoyed and the old lanes up from the town centre are picturesque, if a little dilapidated.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Beiras attractions

1. Museu Cargaleiro

0.1 MILES

This extraordinary museum is spread over two buildings, a mid-18th-century house in Rua dos Cavaleiros (Knights Street) and a clashing contemporary…

3. Jardim do Paço Episcopal

0.23 MILES

This delightful retreat is the garden of the former bishop's palace, an 18th-century baroque whimsy of clipped box hedges, pools and grand staircases…

5. Lagar de Varas

22.1 MILES

This a 19th-century stone barn near the cathedral houses an impressive olive-oil press made in the traditional way with huge tree trunks providing the…

6. Catedral

22.11 MILES

Tucked into a corner of the walled village sits the 6th-century Visigothic cathedral, surrounded by a jigsaw puzzle of scattered archaeological remains…

7. Ruins

22.12 MILES

The only remaining vestige of the defences the Knights Templar built in the 13th century is the Torre de Menagem. Also known as the Torre dos Templários,…

8. Castelo

24.98 MILES

This formidable stone fortress seems to grow out of the boulder-littered hilltop. There's not a lot left inside the walls but it's a beautiful site,…

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