Guarda is the highest town in Portugal at
1.056 metres. In the 1850’s it was nicknamed the city of “4 Fs” – "Fria, Farta, Forte e Feia"
(cold, well-supplied, strong and ugly). It
is chilly and windswept all year round and offers superb views. The city was
founded in 1197 by Dom Sancho I to guard his borders against both Moors and
Spaniards, and though the castle and walls have all but disappeared, its arcaded
streets and little squares can be distinctly picturesque.
The cobbled streets
of the old town, though, are fascinating in themselves - the tangled area
between the Porta da Estrela and Porta do Rei , north of the cathedral, has
changed little in the past four hundred years.
The walls, the towers, the old Jewish quarter
and the houses of Dom Joγo I and Barbadγo call to mind the days of the
town’s medieval splendour. The Cathedral, Gothic in its origins, displays a
Manueline portal and window as well as a Renaissance retable. Also deserving a
visit are the churches of Senhora dos Remιdios, Misericσrdia, Sγo Vicente
and the Regional Museum. On
the outskirts the Romanesque chapel of Nossa Senhora de Mileu.
The area around Guarda is dotted with the remains of castles that were
part of the defense system of the kingdom. Three nearby smaller towns are Trancoso,
Almeida and Castelo Rodrigo that once were fortified villages that
have since lost their most of their defending walls and castles. The town of Almeida
is surrounded in the well preserved 12 star-shaped walls built in the 17th
Century under the design of Antoine Deville. To enter the present town it
still may be approached over a narrow ancient bridge and then through a tunnel
in the ramparts. The town of Belmonte is well known in the history of
Portugal, as it is the home of the famous family Cabral. Amongst their
many historic feats, Pedro Αlvares Cabral the famous explorer was
the first navigator to land in Brazil in 1500.
Close to Guarda on the
northwest is the town of Celorico da Beira with its ruins of a 10th
Century castle and its fame for being a centre for the famous Serra made
from the milk of ewes. To the northeast of Guarda is the town of Pinhel
that originally acted as the control point in the 14th Century to a
series of defending rural fortresses built by Dom Dinis.
To the northwest
and lying about halfway between Guarda and Vila Real is the small
town of Penedono, with its small but impressive castle that records show
existed before 960 AD. On the southeast side of Guarda the rugged granite
fortified village of Sortelha that seems to show little architectural
change form it’s mediaeval past.
To the west of Guarda is the range of
mountains known as Serra da Estrela. The highest point is 1.9393 metres
but most of area is in the region of 1.500 metres above sea level The area known
as Torre is in winter a limited ski resort whilst the road from here
southwards takes the visitor down to Covilhγ which is known for fine
textiles produced from local wool. The whole region is made up of large rugged
terrain and it is from here that the famous distinctive cheese “Serra” is
made from the milk of ewes.
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