Original subtitles

(wind whistling)

(upbeat orchestral music)

(soft marimba music)

- [Narrator] Our journey begins

towards the middle of Portugal at Linhares Castle

before heading southwest

towards the beautiful city of Coimbra

and its ancient university.

From there, we look at two spectacular monasteries

at Batalha and Tomar,

before heading for the coast at the resort town of Nazare.

Just inland to the south

is the striking walled town of Obidos and its castle.

Back on the coast are the dramatic cliffs of Cabo de Roca.

Following the coastline, we take a look at

a series of resort towns and glorious beaches,

including Cascais and Oeiras,

before entering the river Tagus and our final destination,

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

(soft ambient music)

In the mountainous region Agueda,

in the Serra da Estrela National Park,

is the remote village of Linhares,

which has been occupied since Roman times.

Before the occupation,

this was the home of the Lusitanians and the Iberian tribe

from whom all Portuguese are said to be descended.

In the 13th century, the castle was rebuilt

under the ruling period of King Denis

and played an important part

in the early struggle of Portuguese nationality.

The castle has suffered much damage

and neglect over the years, but the two existing towers

give a clue to its past importance overlooking the valley.

Both are open to the public and, from the top,

offer stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

In 1991, the government instituted

the Historic Villages Program, where 12 were identified

for their importance and their need for restoration,

as well as promotion.

One of them is the ancient village of Piodao.

This is a village where all the houses

have been built of schist,

a type of rock that can split easily,

making a good, durable building material.

The roofs are covered with slate.

Another unique feature of the houses

is the use of blue paint for the doors and windows.

It's been said that the reason for this

was simply that the only shop that stocked paint

only had blue.

And as the village was so isolated,

other colors were simply not available.

Whatever the truth, Piodao is quite unique

and is now, thanks to the Historic Villages Program,

a regular stop for tourists who visit the area

and bring much-needed business to the village.

The river Mondego winds its way through the mountains

and passes the city of Coimbra.

(soft piano music)

One of the most important urban centers in the country

and Portugal's capital during the Middle Ages.

The city was founded by the Romans,

taken over by the Visigoths, then the Moors,

then finally conquered by the emerging Portuguese in 1064.

During the country's Age of Discoveries,

when explorers sailed off and found new worlds,

Coimbra grew in stature as a cultural center.

Its ancient streets boast many fine buildings,

including several churches.

And standing on the hill overlooking the river

is the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest universities

in continuous operation in the world.

It was founded in 1290,

but was moved to Lisbon in 1338 on the order of the king

when the city became the capital of the country.

But in 1597, the university returned to Coimbra,

expanded, and took over the former royal palace.

The only subjects taught at this time

were theology, medicine, and law.

In the 18th century, other subjects were introduced,

including scientific study, and the university's collection

of old instruments from this time

is one of the most important in Europe.

Today, there are seven faculties

and close to 20,000 students.

This has given Coimbra

the nickname of the City of the Students.

Portugal is blessed

with a number of magnificent historic monasteries,

and two of them are only 30 kilometers apart.

(soft choir music)

The first is at Batalha,

one of the finest and most original examples

of late-Gothic architecture in Portugal

and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The monastery was built in the 14th century

on the orders of King John in gratitude to the Virgin Mary

for a victory in battle.

Work went on for nearly 200 years until it was stopped

because the king decided to put all his effort

and money into another monastery in Lisbon.

This is why one of the chapels has been left unfinished.

However, it was the French troops in the early-19th century

who inflicted severe damage

by sacking and burning the complex.

It was left in ruins for 30 years,

until it was decided to begin a major restoration,

which would take more than six decades to complete.

In 1907, it was declared a national monument.

Standing on a hill outside Tomar is the Convent of Christ.

This enormous complex illustrates

seven centuries of Portugal's history.

The Romans worshiped on this site

before the first part of the monastery

and castle was built in the 12th century.

The land had been given to the Knights of Jerusalem,

better known as the Knights Templar,

for their help in the fight against the Moors,

and it was they who built the round church.

They also built the castle

as the Moors continually attacked Tomar

until they were eventually expelled

from the Iberian Peninsula.

The castle was part of a defense system

to secure the border of the young Christian kingdom

against the Moors,

who occupied most of what is now Northern Portugal.

When France outlawed and persecuted the Knights

in the 14th century, King Denis of Portugal

merely merged the Templars

with the Portuguese Order of the Knights of Christ

and then moved the headquarters to Tomar.

The next king, Prince Henry the Navigator,

then transformed the Knights into navigators

and used them in the 16th century to expand the kingdom

and spread the word of God to other worlds.

Meanwhile, new monastic buildings at Tomar were built,

including the construction of a new cloister

and one of the finest examples

of Renaissance architecture in Portugal.

But like Batalha, French troops in 1810

turned the Order of Christ out

and made the whole complex into a barracks,

causing a great deal of irreparable damage.

Nevertheless, what remains is one of Portugal's

most unique and impressive architectural monuments.

Water is vital for life.

And as there was no well in the monastery,

it would have to be pumped or carried up from the valley

to storage tanks.

But in the 17th century, a large aqueduct was built

from the local village of Pegoes, where four wells existed.

It is six kilometers long and has 160 arches,

including a double-layer section across the valley,

where it is 30 meters high.

Nowadays, dams create vast reservoirs,

which are badly needed in the dry climate of Portugal.

This one is the Castelo de Bode

and the second-largest body of freshwater in the country.

Rivers also provide freshwater,

and the Tagus is the longest on the Iberian Peninsula

at just over a thousand kilometers.

Along its route are several tributaries

which flow south from the mountains.

This one is the river Zezere at Constancia.

(water flowing)

As the Tagus begins to flow into a flat plain

towards the end of its journey to the sea,

it plays host to one of the most picturesque castles

in Portugal: Almourol.

(light medieval music)

Built on an island in the 12th century,

the castle formed part of a defensive line of fortifications

which included Tomar.

And like Tomar, this was a Templar fortress.

Almourol is one of the best examples of a military fort

during the reconquest of Portugal by Christian forces

and also one that represents the age of the Templar Knights.

After the Moors had been expelled,

the castle's strategic importance diminished

and it was disbanded.

It gradually fell into ruins.

It was the romantic ideals of the 19th century

which eventually led the castle

to be restored to its former glory.

One of the wonders of Portugal is its coastline,

where the Atlantic Ocean has carved away the cliffs

to create wide, sandy beaches.

A century ago, Nazare was a small fishing harbor.

But mass tourism in the 20th century changed all that,

as it did for many other villages along the coast.

Today, the fishermen are a tourist attraction themselves

as they lay out the local mackerel to dry.

The town is split into two,

with the Sitio district on the clifftop

offering the best views along the coast,

which is joined to the Praia district below

by a funicular railway.

(soft guitar music)

The beach at Nazare is considered

one of the best in the country

and, at certain times of the year, has waves rolling in

that attract surfers from around the world.

But for most people, it's a place to relax

and soak up the sun.

(waves lapping)

Away from the resorts on the coast,

it is though time has slipped back,

as ancient hilltop villages

offer a glimpse of an older Portugal.

(light orchestral music)

This is the walled town of Obidos,

which has a history stretching back to the Moors

in the 10th century.

The name derives from the Latin term oppidum,

which means 'fortified city.'

In the 12th century, the king gave the town

and surrounding land to the queen,

and it remained in royal hands for over 600 years,

until the abolition of the monarchy in 1883.

Once a year, the town recreates the spirit of medieval times

with a market where banners and heraldic flags set the mood

and the local population dress as merchants,

jugglers, jesters, minstrels, and soldiers.

And overlooking the town is the castle,

which, over the years, has been added to and modernized.

Today, this once-royal residence is a pousada,

meaning an historic hotel,

where guests can feel the weight of history

as they stroll through the gardens and courtyard

where queens of Portugal once walked.

One of Portugal's claim to fame

is that the cliffs around the Cabo da Roca Lighthouse

are continental Europe's most-westerly point.

It was described by a 16th-century writer as,

"Here, where the land ends and the sea begins."

The point is marked by a memorial

on the edge of the high cliffs.

(soft guitar music)

The lighthouse began operating in 1772.

Over the years, it has been updated,

as new innovations, like the advent of electricity in 1897

and acetylene gas in 1917 for a more powerful light.

Today, it's fully automated.

The lighthouse overlooks a very popular beach,

which is only about 30 kilometers from Lisbon.

To keep the coastline as well as the wooded mountains inland

from further development, it was decided in 1994

to establish this area as a natural park.

The Sintra-Cascais Park

covers an area of 145 square kilometers.

The wind and waves provide a popular playground

for water sports, including kite surfing

and, of course, the enormous number of experienced surfers,

who sit on their boards, waiting for the best wave,

as well as those just learning to surf for the first time.

Frequent storms roll in across the Atlantic

and the rocky coastline becomes a hazard

for ships of all sizes.

At the other end of the bay, marking a dangerous promontory,

is the Cabo Raso Lighthouse, built in 1893.

It was electrified in 1947 and updated in 2003

with a powerful new lamp.

One of the most popular resorts

along the coastline to Lisbon is Cascais.

It was sea-bathing becoming popular

that provided the impetus that transformed this place

from fishing village into a seaside town.

This was further helped by the royal family,

who built a house here.

And the nobility followed,

building beautiful villas of their own,

turning Cascais into a very fashionable and elegant place.

(waves lapping)

With modern transport links,

many people commute from here to Lisbon

along the Avenida Marginal,

which is notorious for fast, careless drivers

and especially motorcycle riders.

As a result, the accident rate is extremely high.

A few miles to the north,

it's possible to ride as fast as you like

at the Estoril Circuit.

(soft guitar music)

It was inaugurated in 1972

and has a course of just over four kilometers.

It was the home of the Portuguese Formula One Grand Prix

until 1997.

It is still home to bike racing

and the motorcycle Grand Prix.

The circuit also offers courses in competing,

as these people are about to find out

as they wait for the riders on the track

to finish their laps.

(engines roaring)

Overlooking the circuit is one of the most romantic

19th-century castles in Portugal, Pena National Palace.

(soft guitar music)

It is also in a military no-fly zone,

so the only view is from a distance.

But even from far away, it's possible to see

that the castle has a mixture of styles,

from Gothic, Islamic, to Italian Renaissance.

Back on the coast,

the outer suburbs of Lisbon begin to appear,

though the resorts continue along the seafront.

This is the wide beach at Carcavelos

and the largest on this stretch of coast.

Its proximity to Lisbon means it's a popular place

during the summer weekends.

Overlooking the beach is a reminder of Portugal's past

in the form of Saint Julian of Barra Fort

and the largest sea fort in the country.

It was designed to defend the entrance to the river Tagus.

Now, it's an official residence for a government minister.

Authority of a different sort is administered

from this futuristic maritime control center.

In 2011, Lisbon Harbor recorded a new record

of 330 large cruise ships entering and leaving,

quite apart from the hundreds of cargo and container ships.

Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, its largest city,

and quite possibly founded by the Phoenicians

as a trading port over 3,000 years ago.

The strong Arabic influence

comes from 450 years of occupation by the Moors

until the country was reconquered

by the Portuguese in the 12th century.

The city has been built on seven hills

overlooking the river Tagus,

which reflects light back on the city.

Lisbon was once the heart of a large empire

that stretched from Brazil in the West to India in the East,

and much of the city reflects this past history.

Great wealth came with the Age of Discovery,

when, in 1497, Vasco da Gama established the route to India

around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

It began what has become known as the Golden Age.

And this is celebrated in a monument to the discoveries.

The original was designed in 1939

to open the Portuguese World Fair and then taken down.

In 1958, it was decided to put a permanent

and enlarged copy on the same site.

It is 52 meters high, with 16 explorers on each side,

as though standing on the sloping deck of a ship

with billowing sails above.

(soft medieval music)

And on the bow is Henry the Navigator,

the third son of the king,

who was largely responsible for this age of exploration.

The monument stands on the place

where those brave and intrepid men

set sail for the unknown in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Close by is the Belem Tower,

which was built in a Portuguese late-Gothic style

by King John, the father of Henry the Navigator.

The tower was not only part of the defense system

but also a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.

It's not hard to imagine looking out to sea from the top

and keeping an eye out for ships returning from new worlds

and perhaps laden with treasure.

However, the view was not so great from the dungeons,

where state prisoners were held well into the 19th century.

Today, the Belem Tower

is one of Lisbon's most visited attractions

and its importance was recognized in 1983,

when it was created a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Fronting the river Tagus is the Square of Commerce,

though it is more commonly known as Palace Square.

This was where the royal palace once stood,

until an earthquake in the 18th century,

followed by a tsunami, destroyed it,

along with most of the city.

In a massive rebuilding program,

the new square was constructed.

The buildings were occupied by customs officials

and port authorities, hence the name Square of Commerce.

One of the favorite tourist attractions

is the Santa Justa Lift.

It was built as a means of connecting

the lower streets of the city to Carmo Square above,

which was a hard climb in the summer months.

It was finally opened in 1902.

The lift carries 25 passengers and climbs 45 meters.

Opposite, on one of Lisbon's seven hills,

stands the Castle of Saint George,

which dates back to the sixth century.

It is named after the patron saint of England,

when Portugal and England

signed a lasting peace treaty in 1371.

Lisbon also has a modern side at the Park of Nations,

the Expo '98 world exhibition site.

After it closed, the area was further transformed

with a whole host of new buildings,

including office and apartment blocks, hotels,

shopping malls, museums, and open spaces,

creating an exciting contrast

with the historic city a few miles away.

Tourists can use the cable cars along the waterfront

for some spectacular views,

including one of the Vasco da Gama Bridge.

It was opened in time for the world's exhibition in 1998

and also celebrated the 500th anniversary

of Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India.

Our final location dominates Lisbon's historic waterfront.

(reverent orchestral music)

This is the 25th of April Bridge, so-named because in 1974,

this was the starting date

of what was called the Carnation Revolution,

when the dictatorship was ousted from power.

The bridge, opened in 1966,

is often compared with the Golden Gate Bridge

in San Francisco, but it is in fact based on

the Oakland bridge a few miles away.

And overlooking the bridge and Lisbon

is the enormous monument to Christ,

which was erected in 1959 as a thank-you to God

for sparing Portugal the horrors of World War II,

a poignant place to end this journey.

(reverent orchestral music)