Why move to Castelo Branco
Castelo Branco will appeal to anyone in search of traditional Portugal, with undiscovered towns aplenty and some of the country’s most spectacular scenery.
In the southern part of the region known as the Beiras, you’ll find villages built among boulders and, if you’re lucky spot endangered species living in its mountainous landscape. This beautiful but unforgiving terrain proved the perfect natural defence first against the Romans and later the Spanish and the legacy of the battle for Portugese nationhood can be found in the form of castles along its border lands.
20 miles west of the border and you come to the district’s capital, Castelo Branco. Much of its long history was wiped out by the continuous battles in the region, but you will still find a beautiful temple of the Knights Templar, baroque (and sometimes bizarre) public gardens and a museum showing the city’s world famous embroidery. Head to the centre of town and you will find a classically handsome and bustling city with wide streets and busy squares.
For many, the main attraction of Castelo Branco are the ancient villages that pepper the hilltops to the east. Most famous of these is Monsanto, which you will often hear called the ‘most Portuguese town in Portugal.’ It’s a bold claim, particularly as many of its houses are squeezed in the spaces between vast boulders – hardly the norm, but you’ll soon understand what they’re getting at. The village hasn’t changed in hundreds of years with narrow streets and architecture in the classic Manueline style.
If living in boulder country isn’t for you, perhaps try one of the more typical granite houses of Idanha-a-Velha, one of the oldest towns in Portugal. You are truly living among history here, with its origins as a Roman settlement and later home to a Visigoth king and a pope. Archaeological remains abound with an impressive Roman wall, temple and bridge still standing in this pretty location.
You’ll discover even more vivid Portugese history in Belmont, an archetypal village of the region with sunny squares, cobbled streets and flower bedecked houses. This was once the home of Pedro Alvares Cabral the man who ‘discovered’ Brazil. During the time he was growing up, the town’s Jewish population came under threat from the Spanish Inquisition and for 500 years a few Jewish families continued to practice their faith in secret and only revealed themselves in the 1980s!
The scenery in Castelo Branco is frequently breathtaking. There are hundreds of square kilometres of natural parks to discover including the Serra da Malcata, which preserves the endangered Iberian lynx. To the north you will find the Parque Natural da Serra de Estrela, or ‘star mountains’ – the highest range in Portugal where you can ski, hike and even enjoy the cheese from the sheep who call the stoniest reaches home. We recommend you visit Covilha, ‘gateway’ to the Serra de Estrela, and known as the town of wool and snow for its historical role in the textile industry and its modern popularity among skiers.