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Description: our journey will lead us to the central region of Portugal to discover the country's architectural wealth and most famous monasteries. From Lisbon to Coimbra, including Tomar and its renowned Convent of Christ, we will see stunning examples of both Romanesque architecture (the old Coimbra cathedral) and Gothic architecture, such as the Cistercian Alcobaça Abbey and the monasteries of Batalha. The Manueline style, which is an original extension of the Gothic style, can be seen in all its glory in Tomar, Batalha and the Hieronymites' monasteries, which stand as true masterpieces of stone, where the perfect diagonal ribs, rigging and coral blend together as part of an imposing tribute to Portugal's maritime discoveries. All of Portugal's history is on show in these treasures. Finally, we will make the most of our trip to visit the Quinta de Monserrate, an Arab-Gothic extravagance and Portugal's largest Roman site in Conimbriga.

Tour programme: the visits and excursions mentioned in the programme may be changed or the order reversed, according to local constraints (such as weather conditions, road traffic, peak periods at the sites visited, and so on) and the return flights on the first and last days; in addition, visits to certain monuments are sometimes restricted to the outside surroundings, when tourists are temporarily denied access due to high visitor levels, renovation work or local events (such as village fairs and church masses).

Hotel rating: Pousada Conde de Ourem in Ourem/Fatima (2 nights): a charming Pousada created in an ancient residence in the pretty medieval village of Ourem (www.pousadas.pt). Fenix Hotel 4* (2 nights): a modern, recently renovated hotel in the centre of Lisbon at the Marques de Pombal square (www.fenixlisboa.com). In the event that a hotel is unavailable, accommodation will be provided in a hotel of the same rating.

Note: the prices advertised are based on a group of 15 to 22 people. Between 10 and 14 people, we reserve the right to charge a supplement of 45 euros per person. Any supplements shall be payable no later than 30 days prior to departure. You will have the option of refusing the supplement by cancelling your booking without any cancellation fees.

Air transport (information subject to change by the tour operator): flights are operated by Portugal's scheduled airlines - Air Luxor and TAP Air Portugal.

Programme

DAY 1: PARIS/LISBON/OBIDOS/ALCOBAÇA

- Upon arrival in Lisbon, we will travel to Obidos, a medieval town surrounded by wild ramparts and timeless in its rustic languor. We will stroll through the cobblestone alleys, lined with delightful houses featuring windows trimmed with bougainvilleas and azulejos-covered churches, such as the Church of Santa Maria.
- Lunch.
- We will get the afternoon off to a start with a visit to the Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, one of the most beautiful Cistercian abbeys left over from the Middle Ages.
- Then in Batalha, we will discover Portugal's national sanctuary - the abbey built in the wake of the victory over the Castilians in 1385 and a masterpiece of the Flamboyant Gothic influenced by English Gothic. We will obviously recognise the Manueline additions. Stuck to the church's apse are the unfinished chapels, representing Manueline art's swan song and an extreme example of its oriental and maritime inspiration.
- On the Ourem road, we will stop off at the Sanctuary of Fatima, where the Blessed Virgin appeared before three young shepherds on 13 May 1917.
- Dinner and night at the Pousada Conde de Ourem.
- The Pousada Conde de Ourem is perched atop a hillock in the magnificent medieval village of Ourem, just a few kilometres from the Sanctuary of Fatima. Several buildings dating back to the Middle Ages have been combined to build the Pousada, which is yet another invitation for a journey back in time. The belvedere provides an impressive view over the valley of Ribeira de Seiça.

DAY 2: TOMAR/COIMBRA/OUREM

- Tomar is an old, small town overshadowed by the fortress monastery of the Knights Templar and the Knights of Christ (order created in 1320 following the abolition of the Order of the Knights Templar, who had established their headquarters in Tomar in 1160). The 12th century wall conceals the highly famous Convent of Christ, whose church features a Templar rotunda (the only one of its kind in Portugal) built in imitation of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
- Not far from there, we will visit Conimbriga, the largest Roman site in Portugal, whose remains suggest a population dating back to the 2nd century BC.
- Lunch.
- Coimbra, a famous university city, will provide us with an approach towards Portuguese history and art. A walk through the old part of the city will conjure up images of Portugal during the Middle Ages with the old cathedral and its Flamboyant Gothic altarpiece. Once again, we will see the hallmarks of the Manueline style.
- We will visit the famous university and its library, whose combination of styles never ceases to amaze: the Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance and Baroque styles blend in harmoniously.
- Then we will cross the river, providing a view of old Coimbra, where we will see the new Santa Clara Monastery with its baroque church, built on high ground in the 17th century.
- Dinner and night at the Pousada Conde de Ourem.

DAY 3: OUREM/MAFRA/MONSERRATE/QUELUZ

- In the morning, we will set off along the Lisbon road. First of all, we will visit the imposing baroque-style Mafra Monastery/Palace, which dominates the town of Mafra and was built during the reign of Joao V, Portugal's most extravagant king.
- Lunch.
- In the afternoon, we will discover the Quinta de Monserrate. Its history begins towards the end of the 18th century when English writer William Beckford stayed there. Then towards the 19th century, Sir Francis Cook bought the property. Following the advice of architect Knowles, landscape painter Stockdale and botanist Nevill, he transformed the palace and gardens into an Arab-Gothic extravagance. In one of her letters, Princess Rattazzi defined the atmosphere of the place as follows: "all that can captivate, entice and enchant is here in this Eden, which will quickly be visited by any traveller keen to see the illustration of the wonderful Arabian Nights. It is the virgin forest, a wild garden, the likes of which I had never seen before. For an hour, I felt that I was living in Brazil".
- From there, we will head for Queluz, the "Portuguese Versailles". We will come across azulejos, some of which representing landscapes of countries from which Portugal drew its wealth: China and Brazil.
- Dinner and night in Lisbon.

DAY 4: LISBON

(Visits on foot and by public transport)

- The morning will start with a visit to the Se and its treasure, a fortified Romanesque cathedral, since it was built after Lisbon had been won back from the Moors. Once again, we will be surprised by the amazing combination of styles: Romanesque sobriety, Gothic flight and baroque exuberance.
- We will walk up to Saint George's Castle, a lavish medieval fortress with Visigothic (5th century) and Moorish walls (9th century), offering some excellent vantage points for viewing the city and its unusual landscape, swollen with countless hills sloping down towards the Tagus and the ocean.
- From there, we will go to St Vincent Outside the Walls, a church designed by an Italian architect and completed in 1627. The nave provides access to a monastery renowned for its 18th century azulejos and a refectory transformed in 1885 into the Bragança mausoleum, which is home to all the sovereign's sarcophaguses, starting with the first of the dynasty, Joao IV, who died in 1656, and ending with Manuel II, the last King of Portugal.
- Lunch.
- In the afternoon, we will pay a visit to the Convent of Madre de Deus with its Manueline façade and baroque decoration (gilded woodcarvings and azulejos). Its charming cloisters and convent buildings contain the Azulejo Museum.
- Dinner and night in Lisbon.

DAY 5: MANUELINE LISBON

- We will discover two masterpieces of Manueline art listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites. First of all, the Tower of Belem, a true stone ship stuck in the Tagus. Beneath its terraces, balconies and Moorish watchtowers, this citadel, built in the 16th century to accommodate the harbour masters, has seen many a caravel set sail for the coasts of Guinea.
- Finally, we will check out the Hieronymites' Monastery, an absolute masterpiece and wonderful combination of Flamboyant Gothic, Renaissance and Manueline styles. Standing before the multi-storey cloister will give us a better idea of the opulence during the Age of Discoveries: it was known as the monastery built using "pepper money", since it was erected using money gained from the spice trade.
- We will also see the tombs of King Manuel I, King John III and their wives.
- Lunch.
- In the afternoon, we will visit the Museum of Ancient Art, built in the former property of the Counts of Alvor (17th century). It houses a rich collection of paintings, including two masterpieces: the Polyptych of Saint Vincent by Nuno Gonçalves, a Portuguese painter of the 15th century, and the Temptation of St Anthony by Jérôme Bosch. The subject of both paintings is the patron saints of Lisbon.
- The rest of the afternoon will be free until the transfer to Lisbon airport.
- Departure late afternoon and arrival in Paris in the evening.

• Tour 1: Portugal: Through its Art and History
   
• Tour 2: Portugal: the Land's End of Europe
   
• Tour 3: Portugal's Monasteries