Located in the heart of Beira Baixa, the municipality of Castelo Branco is a territory where history and nature intertwine harmoniously. This region, marked by its strategic position over the centuries, presents a built heritage that reflects its historical importance, from its Roman origins to its crucial role in the defense of the national territory.
One of the greatest exponents of art and ingenuity in Castelo Branco is the Bishop's Palace Garden. This unique space, an example of Portuguese baroque, invites contemplation with its water features, allegorical statues, and geometric flowerbeds. The richness of its details and the symbolism present in the sculptures tell stories and personify different elements of culture and mythology.
Above the city stands the Knights Templar Castle, a testament to the presence of the Order of the Temple and its importance in the reconquest. Its ruins invite a journey through time and offer a broad perspective of the surrounding landscape, highlighting the region's natural beauty.
The historic center of Castelo Branco reveals narrow streets and traditional architecture, inviting peaceful strolls. The community's connection to its roots is also visible in the arts and crafts, notably the Castelo Branco Quilts, pieces of linen embroidery with unique patterns, which are a symbol of local artisanal mastery.
This municipality offers a genuine experience, where tranquility and authenticity are present values. Its landscape, dotted with olive groves and pine forests, invites appreciation of serenity and discovery of the essence of Portugal.
Authentic flavors that tell the story of our land
This is a soft or semi-soft cheese, made predominantly with sheep's milk (or a mixture of sheep and goat), which holds the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Its artisanal production, based on ancestral techniques from Beira Baixa, gives it an intense and slightly spicy flavor, an authentic reflection of the quality of the pastures and the local cheesemaking tradition.
An emblematic dish of the region, maranos are made with the offal (fressura) of lamb or kid, seasoned with aromatic herbs and spices and then slow-roasted in the oven. It is a dish that reflects popular wisdom in utilizing all parts of the animal, resulting in a rich flavor deeply rooted in the rural cuisine of Beira Baixa.
A traditional dessert with conventual origins, tigelada is prepared with a base of milk, eggs, sugar, and wheat flour, sometimes flavored with cinnamon or lemon. It is characterized by being cooked in clay bowls and baked in a wood-fired oven, which gives it a creamy texture and a caramelized crust, being a true heritage of Beira pastries.
A comforting dessert with a strong connection to tradition, papas de carolo is a creamy sweet made from carolo corn (a type of small, ground corn), cooked in milk with sugar and lemon or orange zest, and sprinkled with cinnamon. It is a dish that evokes the simplicity and richness of traditional cuisine, where corn was a central ingredient.
One of the region's most renowned cured sausages, Castelo Branco salsichão is prepared with high-quality pork, selected and seasoned with garlic, salt, and paprika, and then cured. It is characterized by its elongated shape and intense, aromatic flavor, reflecting the art of traditional charcuterie from Castelo Branco.
This is a particular cured sausage from Beira gastronomy, made with pork blood and fat, cooked rice, and various seasonings, such as cumin and paprika, then cased and cured. Castelo Branco rice morcela stands out for its unique texture and seasoned flavor, often consumed fried or boiled, an integral part of the most traditional tables.
Roasted lamb is a festive dish with great tradition in Beira Baixa. The lamb, often from local pasture-rearing, is seasoned simply, usually with garlic, bay leaf, and white wine, and slow-roasted in a wood-fired oven. The result is tender and succulent meat, with crispy skin, which enhances the flavor of the region's excellent raw material.
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