Montemor-o-Velho Castle

Montemor-o-Velho commands the lower Mondego from a hill above the floodplain, and it was one of the most fought-over positions in the peninsula during the reconquest - taken and retaken repeatedly between Christian and Muslim forces through the tenth and eleventh centuries before being finally secured, then rebuilt under Afonso Henriques and later kings. What survives is a large walled enclosure, one of the biggest in Portugal, with towers, a wall walk and gates, enclosing gardens and the church of Santa Maria da Alcáçova - originally Romanesque, rebuilt in Manueline style in the early sixteenth century with slender columns and a fine ceiling. The view is over the Campo do Mondego, flat drained land now growing rice, with Coimbra's hills east. Entry is free, which for a castle of this size is unusual, and it is very lightly visited.

What you actually see

• The enclosure - one of the largest walled castles in Portugal, with a wall walk.
• The church - Santa Maria da Alcáçova, Romanesque rebuilt as Manueline.
• The rice plain - the drained Campo do Mondego spread out below.
• The free entry - unusual for a castle of this scale.

When to go

April to October. One to two hours. Free entry, though the church has restricted hours.

Honest expectations

Mostly empty walls and gardens - there is little interpretation inside. The wall walk has uneven stone and limited railings. The church is often locked. Little shade in summer.

Nearby

Coimbra is upriver; Figueira da Foz and the coast are west.