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| Day 1 |
TRANSFER AIRPORT <-> HOTEL LISBON CITY TOUR (1): ORIENTE (THE EASTERN DISTRICT) |
Begin with a panoramic sightseeing tour. Lisbon is, without doubt, a charming capital city. Singular monuments scatter themselves through an urban landscape unlike any other, and beautiful viewpoints open up extraordinary views over the river Tagus. This is a city both Atlantic and Mediterranean, illuminated by an extraordinary light. Our tour will allow you to discover the different side of the city’s rich variety of heritage and styles and the uniqueness of one of Europe most beautiful capital. |
Jewish life probably began here not long before the city fell to the Moors in the 8th century. It remained a major port and market up to the time that Portugal’s first king, D. Afonso Henriques, seized it in 1147. The Alfama quarter, hugging a slope between the river and the castle is one of the city’s oldest areas, and a large Jewish community flourished here in the hereabouts of the Rua da Judiaria. As the community grew, and more Jewish refugees came to Lisbon, a new Judiaria Pequena formed in the 13th century near what is today the central Praça do Comércio. This entire area was totally destroyed by the 1755 earthquake. The nearby Rossio square, was the site of the court of the Inquisition. It was here that countless autos-da-fé were held where Jews and other accused heretics were burnt at the stake.
Walking Tour in Lisbon Historic Center, visiting the sites: Park Edward VII, Liberdade Avenue, Rossio (Church of Inquisition and Palace of Inquisition), Praça do Comércio (Celebration of Auto da Fe), Alfama (the old Jewish quarter).
LUNCH – In the city of Lisbon
LISBON’S SYNAGOGUE SHAARE TIKVA is a historical synagogue in the city of Lisbon. There have been Jews in Lisbon at least since the Middle Ages, but the community suffered a major blow in 1497, when an edict by King Manuel I ordered Jews either to convert to Christianity or to leave the country. All synagogues of Lisbon were confiscated by the King and given to Christian religious orders. For the Jews that converted to Catholicism, called New Christians (cristãos novos), the establishment of the Portuguese Inquisition in 1536 meant a permanent danger of being persecuted. The situation for Judaism in Portugal changed at the beginning of the 19th century, when the Portuguese Inquisition was abolished and Sephardi Jews from Morocco and Gibraltar, mostly merchants, started to migrate to Lisbon and other parts of Portugal. Inaugurated in 1904, the Lisbon Synagogue was the first synagogue to be built in Portugal since the late 15th century. Ventura Terra conceived a temple in a style mixing Neo-Byzantine and Neo-Romanesque, consistent with the Oriental fashion for Synagogue architecture. In 2004, a ceremony was held to celebrate the synagogue's 100th anniversary. Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio and Israel's Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar were among the speakers.
Hotel | Lisbon |
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| Day 2 |
LISBON CITY TOUR (2): OCIDENTE (THE WESTERN DISTRICT) |
Discover Lisbon and the surroundings with this amazing circuit. We promise unique and unforgettable experiences for those who prefer the city and history, for those who looks for nature and traveling with all the senses. This is a rich route, diverse, inviting. Waiting to be discovered and covered for you.
We continue our tour in Lisbon. On this day we’ll focus on the western side of the city, the quarter of the discoveries - Belém. |
QUARTER BELEM (UNESCO): Belem Tower (16th century), Monument of Discoveries (20th century), Traditional Milk Custard Tarts of Belém Pastéis de Belém (19th century)
MONASTERY OF JERÓNIMOS (UNESCO): Built in the 16th century, an impressive example of Manueline architecture. It was King Manuel I who ordered the construction of the Monastery and its endowment to the Order of the Friars of Saint Jerome. The sheer magnificence of the building reflects the universal vision of its founder and the scale of the wealth available to the Crown. This was the starting point of the Portuguese discoveries. Inside the church, a masterpiece of the Manueline style, with beautiful transept vaults supported by palm tree column, an ambitious approach by the Portuguese architect. On entry, there are the tombs of the poet Luís de Camões, author of the epic masterpiece Os Lusíadas. As well as the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, commander of the armada that set sail for India in 1497, completing the first such naval voyage in history. You can also find in the lateral chapels and in the chancel, tombs of Portuguese Kings during the Golden Age of the discoveries.
Tasting of TRADITIONAL MILK CUSTARD TARTS OF BELÉM Pastéis de Belém (19th century).
To understand the Portuguese discoveries and the instruments that some Jewish astro-physicians invented we the MARITIME MUSEUM. Founded by King Luís in 1863, 100 years later the Naval Museum was installed in part of the Jerónimos Monastery, becoming symbolically associated with the site that saw the Portuguese fleets setting out to discover the routes over the great oceans. This museum, with more than 17 thousand items, among them almost perfect models of ships, from naus and caravels to modern cruisers, bears fascinating testimony to maritime history and the activities of the Portuguese navigators. In the entrance hall a huge globe shows the routes of the Portuguese expansion from the 11th to 16th centuries and the sharing of the world between the crowns of Portugal and Castile after the Treaty of Tordesillas.
LUNCH – In the city of Lisbon
WALKING TOUR IN LISBON – CHIADO DISTRICT - with strong historic connections with World War II and the rendezvous point for spies. Portugal remained neutral in the 2nd World War and Lisbon became a rendezvous spot for spies, taking advantage of the city’s strategic Atlantic connections, quickly turning into a true “nest of spies”. The “plane to Lisbon”, as an escape route in the movie Casablanca, remains one of the best known examples. Inside the city both the Allies and the Axis kept impressive diplomatic services: probably the only place in war-torn Europe where all sides were able to meet on equal grounds. In this walking tour you will visit some of the sites related with the spy stories of the 2nd World War and also learn about the most famous spy Hotels in Lisbon, The refugees and the fashion trends, The lonely fight of the Portuguese consul in Bordeaux, The most important WWII spy, Garbo/Arabel, The Jewish gold and the tungsten traffic, The games of the political police.
Hotel | Lisbon |
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| Day 3 |
ALENTEJO: ELVAS, ÉVORA Tour to the Alentejo region. |
Finally we arrived to the Alentejo. Here we meet Evora, a city that stands imposing in front to the vast Alentejo plain. Lastly, we will feel the aroma and taste of unmistakable wines of this sunny place in the south.
There is something fortifying and liberating about the Alentejo landscape, with its never-ending space, its immense undulating plains, huge skies of the deepest blue, its infinite horizon... and the people, calm and unruffled folk, immensely proud of their homeland. |
Take a guided walking city in the city of ÉVORA (UNESCO) and explore its old historic center with medieval whitewashed streets, former Royal Palace, City Garden, St. Francis Church and the creepy Chapel of Bones, Geraldo Square, Gothic cathedral of the XIII century, Roman temple from the first century AD and the Real Jesuit University.
Since the middle ages that Evora was the second largest Portuguese city and because of the importance that, often here met the Court. So Jewry was therefore one of the country's largest. It came to have two synagogues, a Jewish school, hospital, and a mikvah (place of ritual baths) and even a leprosarium (Leprosy hospital). The Public Library also presents a rarity, a famous ALMANACH PERPETUUM BY ABRAHAM ZACUTO (printed in 1496 and then translated by Master José Neighbor) and the Nautical Guide Evora (1516), works that greatly contributed to the nautical and scientific development of Portugal during the discoveries. The city was also home to one of the inquisition courts in Portugal, precisely where most processes involved Judaism (about 9,500). The Court and the Evora Inquisitor's Palace are in front of the Museum of Évora, one can still today one can see the coat of arms of the “Holy Office”.
LUNCH – In the city of Evora
Finish the day in a historic pousada hotel, in CRATO. A castle, a convent and a palace, built in different periods, were the origin of an ecclesiastical architectural work of outstanding harmony. The former headquarters of the Knights of Malta is surrounded in medieval mystic. Flor da Rosa Pousada manages to combine the genuine characteristics of the convent, highlighting them with an architectural project, which although modern, entirely respects its origins.
Hotel | Crato |
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| Day 4 |
| CASTELO DE VIDE, MARVÃO |
Castelo de Vide, at 850m above sea level, is of Roman origin but it is probably best known for the large Jewish quarter which existed in the middle ages. In the old Jewish quarter of the town, nothing seems to have changed since those times, with cobbled streets, whitewashed houses and mysterious Gothic doorways. One can explore pretty squares, the oldest synagogue in Portugal and, of course, the 14th century castle overlooking the town.
We will discover Marvão. Anyone who knows Marvão will certainly say that you are at such a height that you can see the backs of the birds flying by. And it is quite true. Just go up to the Castle and enjoy the immense scenery. This medieval walled town is one of Portugal’s treasures, where you are welcomed and feel a limitless tranquillity. Marvão is known for its narrow streets and picturesque recesses, its Manueline pillory, and its Gothic windows and wrought iron balconies. |
CASTELO DE VIDE, MARVÃO CASTELO DE VIDE: Scenic and charming, this small town welcomes the visitor with its white house cling to a castle on a hill. By the 14th century a large Jewish community existed here. The medieval lay out of the streets combines with a Jewish influence on their names: Rua da Judiaria (Street of Jews), Rua Nova (New Street), where Jews converting to Christianity lived and were known as new-Christians, Rua do Arçário (Street of Arcades), the source of the community´s wealth and the Rua das Espinosas, named in honour of the 17th century philosopher Spinoza, son of a Castelo de Vide resident.
Take a careful look at the houses in the Jewish Quarter. On the ground floor, two doors connect with the exterior. Normally in granite, one leads into the store where the business was done and the other leads onto stairs leading to the two upper floors which were the living quarters. On the doors that still retain their ogival gothic structure, there are sculpted symbols. On the right doorpost, there are small indents of around 10cm. These are mezuzot (plural of Mezuzah) and clear evidence the Jewish faith was practised. They were used to attach a small parchment that represented a profession of faith. On one side, there was the name of God and on the other the word Shemah was inscribed. Shemah is the name given to the first sentence in the Book of Deuteronomy meaning listen.
At the crossroads between Rua da Judiaria and Rua da Fonte there is the former synagogue, which served as both a meeting place and school for the Jewish community. According to what is known, through to the 12th century, this was but a modest house before being transformed into a place of worship in the 14th century. In the 16th century, with the order given to expel all Jews, it again returned to being a residence. Within one of the walls, a tabernacle and a receptacle were discovered confirming the building´s former purpose. The tabernacle, divided into two, served to store the sacred manuscripts and the holy oils used in religious ceremonies. The receptacle, to the left, was used to hold the scriptures.
Heading down the north slope, the stroll inevitably ends in a square pleasantly set off by the Town´s fountain. This represented one of the boundaries to the Jewish quarter.
MARVÃO: Continue to the most extreme east border of Portugal, to the wonderful hilltop CASTLE OF MARVÃO. Only a few kilometers from Spain, stands the peaceful town of Marvão, on the highest crest of the Serra de São Mamede. Geographically, Marvão is a point of natural strategic defence, marked by steep slopes to the north, south and west. Access on foot is only possible from the east, which was the direction in which the town gradually spread. Inside the walls are narrow streets lined with the beautiful popular houses that are typical of the Alentejo. Amidst them, it is easy to find Gothic arches, Manueline windows, wrought-iron balconies and other embellishments in the nooks and crannies of the buildings made from the local granite. This impressive fortress town served as an entry point to the thousands of Jews who fled Spain in the 15th and 14th centuries.
Hotel | Crato |
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| Day 5 |
| BELMONTE, TRANCOSO |
Today we visit Belmonte and Trancoso. In Belmonte all roads in this ancient settlement - its first charter was granted by king Sancho I in 1199- lead up to the hilltop granite castle. Belmonte retains much of the medieval atmosphere of times when the Jewish community would have to practice its prayers, traditions and customs in secrecy even if Belmonte is now more than proud to be home to the Bet Eliahu synagogue.
With a past that parallels the history of Portugal, Trancoso is a town whose narrow streets and stone houses preserve the medieval atmosphere. The plateau on which it is situated, at an altitude of 870 metres, gave it a strategic position in the defence of the frontier with Spain and made it an important fortress during the Middle Ages. |
BELMONTE, the most Jewish town of Portugal. After centuries of Jewish organization in secrecy is during the 1920’s that Samuel Schwarz announces the existence of a community in the interior of Portugal, near the Serra da Estrela: Belmonte, the native town of the discoverer of Brazil in 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral. After the persecutions of the Inquisition and the Catholic integration processes that have diluted all the existing communities, it came to public that this village had its Jewish traditions alive. Belmonte is in the 20th century the last peninsular (Portugal and Spain) community of Crypto-Jews. About 200 people, nearly 10% of the villagers. This present community has its own synagogue, rabbi and cemetery.
The community of Belmonte today meets the main religious rituals. Some rituals barely changed since the medieval ages, as one needs to understand that they lived in secrecy for centuries and had no contact with the world or with other Jewish communities, as well as the geographic location of the town was until the 1950’s extremely difficult to reach.
LUNCH – In the city of Belmonte
Continue to the walled town of TRANCOSO where Jewish merchants first settled in the 12th century. Visit the well preserved on the facade of the Casa do Gato Negro (The house of the Black Cat). The façade of the house is decorated with emblems that have been interpreted as representations of the Lion of Judah and the Gates of Jerusalem. The house itself used to belong to the former Rabbi of this community and it was probably also used as the local Synagogue. Now, the town of Trancoso is honoring its Jewish heritage with the establishment of the Isaac Cardoso Center for Jewish Interpretation, along with a new synagogue called Beit Mayim Hayim – “the House of Living Waters.” A mezuzah was affixed to the entrance of the synagogue – the first mezuzah in the village for hundreds of years! Jewry: Rua da Alegria
Hotel | Penalva do Castelo |
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| Day 6 |
ARISTIDES SOUSA MENDES | RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS
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Today, we will start by meeting Aristides Sousa Mendes history.
Aristides de Sousa Mendes do Amaral e Abranches was one of the great heroes of the Second World War. As the Portuguese consul stationed in Bordeaux, France, he issued some 30,000 visas, including about 10,000 to Jews, over the period of a few days.
After this emotional visit, time to relax. So, we will visit the an amazing Winery, were you will taste some of the best wines of the Douro Valley. Then we will go to AMARANTE, a place that will not leave you indifferent. We ended the day in the northern capital, a city constantly changing, which has been modernized but retains intact its traditions and its medieval traits. |
We start this day by visiting the house of Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who was one of the great heroes of the Second World War. As the Portuguese consul stationed in Bordeaux, France, he found himself confronted in June of 1940 with the reality of many thousands of refugees outside the Portuguese consulate attempting to escape the horrors of the Nazi war machine. These persons were in desperate need of visas to get out of France, and a Portuguese visa would allow them safe passage through Spain to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, where they could find liberty to travel to other parts of the globe.
In all, Sousa Mendes issued some 30,000 visas, including about 10,000 to Jews, over the period of a few days. This heroic feat was characterized by the Holocaust historian Yehuda Bauer as “the largest rescue action by a single individual during the Holocaust.”
For his act of defiance Sousa Mendes was severely punished by Salazar, stripped of his diplomatic position and forbidden from earning a living. He had fifteen children, who were themselves blacklisted and prevented from attending university or finding meaningful work. In this way what was once an illustrious and well-respected family – one of the great families of Portugal – was crushed and destroyed. The family’s ancestral home, known as “Casa do Passal,” was repossessed by the bank and eventually sold to cover debts.
Now, the Casa do Passal, which has been classified as a National Monument, will be given a new lease of life by far-sighted government representatives Pedro Saraiva and Celeste Amaro, and thousands of followers around the world!
We visit the House of Aristides Sousa Mendes, the house of his birth, and the cemetery where he is buried.
After this visit, follow to Douro Valley, to discover one of the following winerys.
WINERY PACHECA: Quinta da Pacheca, one of the most famous properties in Douro, stands out for having been the first to bottle wine under its own brand. On April 17, 1738 the winery already belonged to D. Mariana Pacheco Pereira. In 1903 it was bought by José Freire de Serpa Pimentel, and after 100 years it still belongs to the same family. The property is located in the Lower Douro region, with a total length of 51 hectares of vineyards and a single winery. The main wines are: Pacheca, Grande Reserva Touriga Nacional and Vinha da Rita.
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QUINTA DO VALLADO: Established in 1716, is one of the oldest and most famous “Quintas” in the Douro Valley. It once belonged to the legendary Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, and still belongs to the family of her descendants. it lies on both banks of the Corgo river, a tributary to the Douro river, rightnear to it’s mouth, close to the town of Peso da Régua.
LUNCH – In the mountain village of Amarante
All visitors to AMARANTE will most certainly be impressed by two imposing natural features: the great Serra do Marão rising above the city in a series of majestic landscapes and the river Tâmega, the longest tributary of the river Douro, whose journey begins in Galicia and which flows through the heart of Amarante, giving added colour to the picturesque houses standing on its banks. Amarante's sweets and cakes are extremely famous since the middle ages. The highlight of Amarante town is the Convent of Saint Gonçalo, founded by king D. João III in 1540. This convent is a pilgrimage destination to all single ladies who are looking forward to meet their charming price in the near future.
Hotel | Porto |
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| Day 7 |
PORTO: THE HOME OF PORT WINE
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PORTO: Capital and gateway to the north of Portugal, Porto is both the city that provided a nation with a name and a fortified wine known world-wide: Port Wine. With its splendid geographical location on the mouth of the river Douro and an architectural heritage of exceptional quality, the historic center of Porto was declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1996. |
Porto is the capital of the North and the second largest city in the country; its hard-working inhabitants are noted for their commercial enterprise, always standing firm against outside impositions and foreign invaders, which explains why Porto has become known as the «unvanquished» city.
In this Porto Day tour we will visit the most important sites of this old city. Take a guided tour the Port Wine Old Cellars and taste a kosher port wine, unique in the world. Admire the typical granite houses and monuments, with all the rhythms of city life, its movement and intense retailing, the main square of Av. Aliados, the highest tower in the city of Clerigos, the world famous bookstore Livraria Lello, the ultra modern Casa da Musica building, the Atlantic fortress of Castelo do Queijo, the Palacio da Bolsa (Chamber of Commerce), Ribeira (Riverside), and a river cruise under the city’s six bridges, from where you can enjoy an entirely different view of the city.
LUNCH – In the city of Porto
The Synagogue Kadoorie Mekor Haim is the largest in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the largest in Europe. Built with donations from Jews around the world, it was inaugurated in 1938, at a time when in Germany Synagogues were being burned down. This architectural monument is one of the most extraordinary Jewish houses of worship in the world and is also the headquarters of the Jewish Community of Porto, founded in 1923 by Captain Barros Basto, who became known in the Jewish world for trying to rescue the descendants of Jews forced to convert Christianity, in the fifteenth century, who kept the secret practice of precepts of the Jewish religion.
OPTIONAL TOUR PORTO FADO SHOW + FOLKLORE SHOW + DINNER WITH DRINKS | PRICE 45EUR/PERSON + 10EUR/PERSON FOR TRANSPORTATION | By night, the traditional neighborhoods fall under the spell of Fado, the melancholic style of Portuguese folk music. In 2011, UNESCO granted Fado World Heritage status.
Hotel | Porto |
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| Day 8 |
TOMAR and ÓBIDOS |
Almost in the end of our circuit along the paths where the prevailing Jewish heritage, we will dedicate the last day to two stunning locations in the center of the country, explore the mythical city of TOMAR and "travel in time" through the streets and alleyways of the beautiful medieval village of ÓBIDOS . In both stops we find traces of the presence of the Jews and its remarkable culture.
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Continue South towards TOMAR (UNESCO), awarded the classification of world heritage to the Templar Castle and the Convent of the Knights of Christ in Tomar (12th century) a unique monument in the history of the western world. After a royal reformation of the Order of Christ, here was settled the Inquisition main office in the 17th century. This vast monumental complex illustrates seven centuries of Portugal's history and contains several important mementoes of decisive moments in the history of the western world.
SYNAGOGUE: Built between 1430 and 1460 by order of Prince Henry, the synagogue of Tomar witness the importance that the Jewish community has been in the city since the 14th century. The functions that the building had over the times were different, becoming public jail, chapel and warehouse. Adjoining the main building after archaeological excavations, a room was found, for the mikvah, the ritual bath of purification of women. The Synagogue of Tomar contains a strong symbolism. It is in fact the only synagogue in the 15th century, built from scratch, which still remains standing.
LUNCH – In the city of Tomar
Continue west towards the delightful town of ÓBIDOS, with white houses adorned with bougainvillea and honeysuckle was captured from the Moors by the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, in 1148. D. Dinis later presented it to his wife, Queen Santa Isabel. Inside the walls, which at sunset take on a golden coloring, one can sense a cheerful medieval ambience of winding streets, old whitewashed houses bordered with blue or yellow, Manueline embrasures and windows, reminding us that King D. Manuel I (sixteenth century) carried out major works here, and masses of colorful flowers and plants. Jewry sites: The former synagogue is still standing, however not possible to visit inside. As well as the Rua Nova (Jewish artisans street) and Porta Santiago (Gate of St James).
Hotel | Lisbon |
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| Day 9 |
TRANSFER HOTEL <-> AIRPORT
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| Hotel check-out. Transfer Hotel, directly Lisboa airport with our help on boarding formalities. With the possibility to have an early breakfast. |
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 PRICE | If you would like a quote for this package please contact our agency. We will be happy to give you the best possible quote for you and your group
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