Description

The Alentejo Route stretches through the territories of Alto and Médio Alentejo having borders from Elvas to Portalegre, and from Elvas to Montemor-o-Novo. This territory has long plains, soft relief until the Serra de São Mamede.

The farmsteads or estate farms are long and mostly rural but there are also some small ones for the purpose of contemplation and recreation. This is added to the wise art of cultivation and freshness stood by rigorous collecting and distributing water systems that irrigate this  special areas.   Some of them are a sample of the court life. The Alcáçovas or Mitra, the Amoreira da Torre or the Solar da Oliveira. The marble in Vila Viçosa, Estremoz and Borba give it a differet existance. Some of them exist in a more religious essence, such as the São Paulo or the Espinheiro convent, who were influenced by a growing hermit movement since the 14th century in the Alentejo. There are other estates that are more fruitful but also ancient and it is where it is possible to witness a prosperous roman society. Herdade da Palma is one of them.

The sanctuaries are located in different areas and tell stories of the past keeping ancient rituals: Nossa Senhora da Visitação, Nossa Senhora de Aires, Nossa Senhora da Penha, Calvário de Monforte... The landscape has high castles that today are public gardens used by the population for recreation: Marvão, Muralhas de Elvas, Vila Viçosa, Montemor-o-Novo... And there are also current gardens - that once were gardens of royal palaces like the scenic Évora Public Garden - or areas of intensive collective living and civic squares like the Rossio de Estremoz.

The Alentejo is a rich and diverse heritage that always surprises by the Portuguese landscaping art.