Viagem Medieval

The Viagem Medieval em Terra de Santa Maria has run since 1996 and has grown into one of the largest historical reenactment events in Europe, taking over the castle, the historic centre and the surrounding parks for twelve days in August. What distinguishes it from smaller medieval markets is scale and organisation: several hundred thousand visitors across the run, a cast in the thousands including paid performers and volunteers from the town, encampments, jousting, falconry, a fully staffed market of period crafts, banquets, street theatre, processions and a nightly programme running late. Each edition takes a theme from the town's medieval history. Local associations and schools are heavily involved, which keeps it from being purely commercial, though it is unmistakably a large ticketed event. The castle's conical towers make an unusually convincing backdrop.

What you actually see

• The scale - twelve days, thousands of performers and hundreds of thousands of visitors.
• The castle setting - the conical-towered fortress as the backdrop.
• The encampments - camps, jousting and falconry through the parks and grounds.
• The town involvement - local associations and schools making up much of the cast.

When to go

Early to mid August, over twelve days. One to three days. Evenings are the busiest and the best programmed. Book accommodation early.

Honest expectations

Ticketed entry, and it is a commercial event despite the volunteer involvement. Enormous crowds at night in narrow streets. August heat with heavy period costumes on performers. Accommodation across the region fills.

Nearby

The castle is the centrepiece; Porto is thirty kilometres north.