Óbidos

Óbidos is a village in the Oeste subregion of Central Portugal. The town is a popular destination due to its walled hilltop medieval centre.

Understand

In recognition of its literary connections, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) added Óbidos to its Creative Cities Network in 2015.

See

• ⊙Castelo de Óbidos (Óbidos Castle), Rua Josefa de Óbidos. The village is dominated by an old medieval castle with a portion of the village located within the fortress walls.
• ⊙Igreja de Santa Maria (Church of St. Mary), Praça de Santa Maria, ☎ +351 262 959633. The mother church/main church of Óbidos. In Moorish times, this was a mosque. After the Christian reconquest in 1148, it was dedicated as a Catholic church. Much renovation occurred in the 16th century, when the bell tower was added. (updated Jan 2021)
• ⊙Museu Municipal de Óbidos (Municipal Museum), Rua Direita 97 (in the old Council Chamber House), ☎ +351 262 955557. Tu–Su 10:00–13:00 & 14:00–17:00, closed M. The museum covers the town's art and religious devotion. It features paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly by André Reinoso and Josefa d’Óbidos. (updated Jan 2021)
• ⊙Porta da Vila (Porta da Senhora da Piedade), Rua Josefa de Óbidos 2. The entryway into the town's medieval walls takes you through a tiled portico. On a balcony above, here's a baroque chapel-oratory dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy, the town's patron saint (a/k/a Mary, the mother of Jesus).
• ⊙Óbidos Aqueduct (Aqueduto de Óbidos). The Óbidos Aqueduct is a 16th-century aqueduct that spans the municipality.
• ⊙Santuário do Senhor Jesus da Pedra, Largo do Santuário (N8 road NE of Óbidos town). This sanctuary, inaugurated in 1747, is one of Portugal's main baroque monuments. Its unusual hexagonal shape is surprising.

Do

• Walk the 1.5 km (0.93 mi) walls of the fortress.