Estremoz is arguably the Alentejo’s most impressive fortified town, thanks to its massive Vauban-style walls and gateways. There are two sections: the older, walled quarter, and the more functional seventeenth and eighteenth century town below that nonetheless holds plenty of interest.

The medieval quarter is dominated by the palace and castle, most of which is now a sumptuous pousada – inn. Only the iconic machiolated keep, the Torre das Tres Coroas, remains from the original medieval castle, which was blown up in 1698. Rebuilt, the castle was later sacked by the French army in 1808, but it remained standing.

It is a short walk or drive from the city walls down to the main square, the vast Rossio Marques de Pompal. Flanked by trees, churches, and harmonious seventeenth and eighteenth century architecture, this social and commercial hub always harbours a few market stalls along its southern side. Vendors sell everything from local cheese to sheep products, ceramics, sausages, and vegetables; they multiply greatly on Saturdays.