Ourém

Travel north for 11 kilometers from Fatima , join the N113, and turn left to the town of Vila Nova de Ourém. From Vila Nova de Ourém, you’re bound to notice the picturesque fortified town crowning a hill overlooking town—this is the ancient town of Ourém, today virtually abandoned, which is reached up a steep, winding road. The Count of Ourém turned the original castle into a palace in the 15th century and this is now open to the public as a pousada, the Conde de Ourém. Leave your car just inside the walled entrance (or drive to the center if you are staying at the pousada) and walk around the charming, lonely village and up to the castle. The visit imparts an almost eerie feel for life in the distant past. The vistas from the belvedere over the green countryside are striking.