The walled town of Obidos is one of the best tourist destinations of central Portugal, and makes for a fantastic day trip from Lisbon. The small town is situated along a limestone ridge and is completely encircled by ancient town walls. Within Obidos are traditionally painted houses, a labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets, and a medieval castle, which has guarded the region for over 800 years. Obidos also boasts an illustrious history, as it was traditionally given to the queen of Portugal on the day of her wedding, a tradition which began in 1214 and continued through to the 19th century. This royal patronage ensured that the town retained its unique and charming character, and today is one of the most picturesque towns of Portugal.

15 Best Things to Do in Alcobaça (Portugal) This town in Portugal’s Centro Region is rather low-key, except for one blockbuster monument: The spellbinding Monastery of Alcobaça. In 2007 this World Heritage Gothic complex was declared one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. The monument is the final resting place for the 14th-century King Pedro I and his star-crossed lover, Inês de Castro, whose lives were haunted by tragedy.

Visite the Alcobaça Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro de Alcobaça, Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça) is a Roman Catholic monastic complex located in the town of Alcobaça, in central Portugal, some 120km north of Lisbon. The monastery was established in 1153 by the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, and would develop a close association with the Portuguese monarchy throughout its seven-century-long history. The church and monastery were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal, and, together with the roughly older Augustinian Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, it was one of the most important mediaeval monasteries in Portugal. Due to its artistic, cultural and historical relevance, it was included in UNESCO's World Heritage Site list in 1989

Óbidos had its foundation in the existence of a fortified settlement, likely over the Luso-Roman castro and Roman oppidum (then civitas) on the hilltop, that was the mysterious Eburobrittium, once cited by Pliny the Elder as being situated between Collipo (near present-day Leiria) and Olisipo (Lisbon). Archeological surveys later resulted in the discovery of a forum, baths and other Roman structures near the settlement. The area was later settled by the Lusitanos (since the 4th century BC) and Romans in the first century, but later occupied by Visigoths during the 5th and 6th century and Muslims, who were responsible for fortifying the town in the 8th century.