Tomar and Monsanto — fortresses of the Templars

Monsanto and Tomar Tour will "return" you to the Middle Ages, and you will learn what happened in Portugal in the 12th-14th centuries.

The formation of the independent Portuguese Kingdom in the 12th century and its further development until the 14th century are closely related to the Knights Templar. They helped the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, in the Reconquista of Muslim territories and were also involved in the settlement and development of lands that became their property.

First of all, we will visit the headquarters of the Portuguese Templars, located in Tomar and built in the distant year of 1160.

After lunch at a restaurant on the main square of the small town of Tomar, we will set off to the far borders of the Portuguese kingdom, which were guarded by the Templars.

Monsanto (Sacred Mountain) is a towering granite mountain in the middle of a picturesque and fertile plain. Under the influence of wind and rain for tens of thousands of years, the mountain has been shattered into countless giant boulders.

On top of this mountain, 750 meters above sea level, which provided excellent views of the surroundings, the Templars built a fortress in 1165, next to which the village gradually grew. But the Templars' fortress is not the only attraction of Monsanto...

The houses themselves in the village are an object for photographers and just lovers of the unusual, because they are made of granite boulders that form walls, roofs, and floors.

Monsanto is the most Portuguese village in Portugal according to the commission of 1938, as evidenced by the silver rooster, a replica of which crowns the local clock tower.

This excursion has several options, depending on where you want to start it and where to finish:

• Coimbra-Tomar-Monsanto-Coimbra
• Coimbra-Tomar-Monsanto-Lisbon
• Tomar-Monsanto-Tomar
• Tomar-Monsanto-Lisbon
• Tomar-Monsanto-Coimbra

The option starting in Coimbra and ending in Lisbon is well suited for those who are moving from Porto/Coimbra to Lisbon or further south to the Algarve.