Attractions and Places To See around Moura (São João Baptista) - Top 11

It's a beautiful, narrow bridge with the unique feature of allowing you to sit quietly and admire the spectacular scenery in which you find yourself.

Bridge with benches. So when you cross the narrow bridge, you can rest on one of these stone benches.

The dam takes its name from the nearby village of Alqueva. This dam was a project dating back to the time of dictator Salazar. It was completed 50 years later. The dam was primarily built to promote agriculture rather than electricity production. Indeed, the region was severely lacking the water needed for agricultural production. The result was the largest artificial lake in Europe in an extremely dry region. The village of Luz was submerged and rebuilt identically.

A head for heights is essential for climbing the clock tower. The steps vary in height, and there is no handrail. The view from the clock tower offers views of the roofs of the Mouraria and the numerous cylindrical, round chimneys with pointed roofs made of brick, as well as the Church of São João Baptista with its Manueline portal and Dr. Santiago Park.

Moura Castle is a very old fortress, composed of round and square towers, and is the first fortress known to Moura. The Convent of Our Lady of the Assumption was built here, which incorporated the Church of Santiago, the former Moorish mosque, and became the mother church.

The interior of the church consists of three naves: the main nave for the clergy and nobility, and the side aisles for the people. The main chapel, made of Sevillian tiles in shades of blue, stands out. Also notable in the main nave is a large marble pulpit. The ceiling of this church collapsed in the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. A beautiful portal, framed by columns and typical Manueline motifs, such as the armillary spheres next to the Portuguese coat of arms, is also noteworthy.

Rising above Moura's old town on a limestone plateaux are the ruins of a once grand castle. The medieval Castelo de Moura was built by King Dom Dinis in the 13th century on the site of an earlier Moorish citadel. There is evidence that the site is even older than this suggesting there was originally an Iron Age hill fort here. The medieval castle was a mixture of old and new including the remains of the Moorish castle and a new watchtower, the remains of which can be seen today. One of the original Moorish towers remained; the Salúquia tower, named after princess Salúquia, the daughter of the Muslim governor Abu Hassan. It is said that when the christians reconquered the town she threw herself from the top of this tower. Over subsequent years the castle was further expanded and fortified. During the 16th century the convent of Nossa Senhora da Assunção was incorporated into the castle grounds, being built on the site of the earlier Moorish mosque. It is said that the convent was home to the tombs of Pedro and Álvaro Rodrigues who were responsible for the reconquest of Moura from the Moors. The castle was almost destroyed during the Spanish War of Succession under the command of the Duke of Osuna in 1707. Further damage was caused by the 1755 earthquake leaving the Moura Castle in ruins. Today the castle is home to landscaped gardens, a military museum and an archaeological museum. It is also a great viewpoint for the town and surrounding countryside including the nearby Alqueva dam.

Moura Castle dates back to the 13th century, during the Christian rule achieved in 1232 during the reign of King Dinis. During the medieval period, the town suffered several invasions, which ended up destroying the castle with its Muslim walls. It was during the Order of Aviz that a third of the income from the churches of Moura and Serpa was donated to rebuild the castle. A line of watchtowers was built covering the border, of which the Atalia da Cabeça Magra remains. During the reign of King Fernando, in the 14th century, the second walled enclosure began to enclose more of the surrounding area. Between 1805 and 1826, the old rammed earth walls of the castle were used as raw material for the production of saltpeter. The western section of the citadel wall was demolished to make way for the Vista Alegre wine press, an order given by José Pimenta Calça. The castle stands 184 metres above sea level and is built in the form of a citadel measuring 200 x 100 metres. The rectangular floor plan is in the Manueline style and features the tomb of Pedro and Álvaro Rodrigues, the conquerors of Moura from the Muslims in 1166 and protagonists of the Legend of the Town of Moura. In the late 1950s, the government began to intervene, which lasted for around 20 years. Archaeological surveys began in 1981 and restoration work began between 1982 and 1986. In 2002, the castle underwent further interventions, which included landscaping improvements. The Keep is in the Gothic style and is solid in the lower part. It has an octagonal room covered by a ribbed vault with pointed arches, supported by eight columns with slender shafts. During the 19th century, one of the towers was converted into a Clock Tower. Castle Opening Hours: Every day | 09:00 to 17:30 Clock Tower Opening Hours: Every day | 09:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:30