Plan a trip to Beja

Beja, the capital of the lower Alentejo region (Baixo Alentejo), is a tranquil, welcoming city with a historic walled center, picturesque squares, outstanding wine, and great traditional cuisine. It is located on a high hilltop, overlooking the golden plain which is full of seemingly endless wheat and corn fields.

During the Roman and Muslim rule, Beja was an important administrative center and was known as “Pax Julia.” The city later became a major agricultural center due to its wheat and olive oil commerce.

There are several highlights in Beja, including the 5th century Igreja de Santo Amaro and the Regional Visigothic Museum of Beja which is housed in the church. There are exhibits of unique and notable remains of the Paleo-Christian era.

The medieval Castelo de Beja (Beja Castle) was built as a fortress and its walls surround the old quarter. Its 131 foot clock tower offers the most spectacular views of the region.

The heart of the city is the Praca da Republica, and the Pillory Beja, Pelourinho de Beja, in Beja’s main square is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the scenery with a cup of coffee.

The Beja Regional Museum, also known as the Museu Rainha Dona Leonor, is located in a 15th century Franciscan convent, the Convento Nossa Senhora da Conceicao. It has a beautiful interior with frescos and innumerable tiles. The chapels are Rococo style with gold carvings and marble inlays. Stories abound about the secret and scandalous love story that took place here in the 17th century between a nun and a French officer, and are the basis of the book, Letters of a Portuguese Nun. The affair likely served as inspiration for the novel Mariana by Katherine Vaz.

Beja also has the unique Visigoth Museum and the state-of-the-art museum center that was inaugurated in 2008.