Marvão

Leave Castelo de Vide on N246-1 in the direction of Marvão. You traverse a tree-lined country road flanked by pasture land and olive groves as you ascend the Serra. Watch for signs to Marvão, which you reach along a winding road with extensive panoramas. The hilltop town of Marvão rises more than 760 meters above sea level and is visible up to the right upon your approach. As romantic as its setting appears today, from its massive and apparently impregnable fortifications it’s plain to see why, historically, unwelcome aggressors would consider this strategic position next to impossible to overcome.This picturesque little mountain town is completely ringed by the imposing ramparts of its 13th-century castle, another of King Diniz’s defensive installations against the ever suspect Spaniards (it was previously also a Roman stronghold called Herminio Minor). The narrow streets betray the town’s age and, along with a profusion of wrought-iron windows and flowery balconies on whitewashed houses, paint an authentic and charming picture of life here as it has been for centuries. Meander through the quaint village up to the castle ramparts, which you can stroll around for glorious views over red rooftops to the Serra stretching for many kilometers beyond. Another worthwhile visit is to the pretty little church of Nossa Senhora da Estrâla.