Day tours in Lisbon & surroundings
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Program
Travel northwards and arrive at the beautiful and very ancient walled town called Obidos with picturesque streets. Guided
tour and free time to walk through the narrow streets and old castle in a unforgettable trip to the past.
Then drive to Alcobaca to visit the 12 th century Church of Alcobaca Monastery, the longest and in the most ancient Gothic
Monastery in Portugal.
Lunch included in Nazare, a colourful fishing village, where one can mingle with fishermen, breed a strong maritime breeze
and enjoy the atmosphere of one of the most typical villages in Portugal, famous also for its seaside resort. Proceed to
Batalha Monastery for a guided visit of the church, a 14th century masterpiece in Gothic style.
Finally Fatima - the Centre of Christian faith and a local of world's pilgrimage. Religious services can be attended.
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...Perched on a hill rising out of an agricultural plain, Óbidos is one of Portugal’s picturesque gems. From its lofty centre
one gazes upon expanses of vineyards speckled with whirling windmills and terracotta-roofed homesteads. Nearer, narrow
cobbled streets, lined typically with whitewashed, bougainvillaea-draped houses, wind up to the walled interior. The region
was the westernmost limit of the Roman Empire. Under Portuguese rule, Obidos flourished into a major trading port. Every
Portuguese queen was given Obidos as a wedding present. Obidos continues to be a popular destination during the
summer, when tourists jam the streets to explore the city’s medieval charm....
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...The city of Alcobaça became notable after the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, decided to build there a Monastery
to celebrate the conquest of Santarém. It’s one of the most magnificent gothic monuments in the country and was the first
Gothic building in Portugal, started in the 12th century. Over the centuries this monastery had an important role on
Portuguese culture. The Cistecian monks in Alcobaça dedicated their lives to meditation, working and teaching. They created
the first public school in Portugal, which was begun in 1269, and the use of the land for farming purposes, providing a
genuine agricultural training ground, the fruits of which are still visible today...
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…Possibly the most famous fishing town in Portugal, Nazaré is unique in many ways. It has an atmosphere of times gone
by, contentment and traditions, which continue to thrive, which make it a special place to visit. Along the seafront of Nazaré,
people still dry their catch of fish in the sun and mend their boats alongside sunbathing holidaymakers. A throng of craft
shops and cafes stretches the length of the Avenida Marginal, as well as restaurants serving a great variety of the local
speciality, which is of course fish. Until not too long ago, fishermen were still seen using oxen to pull their brightly painted
boats from the ocean and even today many locals still wear their characteristic traditional costumes: fishermen have check
shirts and trousers, and the women wear several layers of petticoats. The fishing boats are Phoenician in design with bright
colours and eyes painted on the vessels, supposedly with magical power to avert storms…
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...In the XIV century, king Ferdinand died without a male heir to the throne; this originated the most significant civil war in
Portugal, involving England and Spain. The winner, king John I, ordered the construction of this Monastery in homage to his
victory and to be his Royal Pantheon. In fact, he started also what would become known as the “Magnificent Generation”,
those Monarchs who gave the impulse and consolidated the gigantic Portuguese Empire. The Monastery was to be the
Portuguese monarchy's main building project for the next two centuries. Here a highly original, national Gothic style evolved,
profoundly influenced by Manueline art...
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...The Catholic Church regards the three parts of the Fatima Secret and the total Fatima message to be important and of
great value to the spiritual lives of its people. It consists only of prophecies about the new condition of the Church in the
world.... Fatima and its Secret do present us with something deeply serious, for they bring us face to face with the mysteries
of eternal life. Fatima is undoubtedly the most prophetic of modern apparitions. Faith and prayer are forces which can
influence history and that in the end prayer is more powerful than bullets and faith more powerful than armies...
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