We will be in Lisbon last week of October. Doing a day trip to Sintra then thinking of Sintra to Cascais. Chapel of Bones in Evora looks so interesting I am looking for advice thoughts on if it is worth a day trip. If it is would love to know of other things in area to visit. Many thanks
Posted by
New York, NY
1586 posts
How many days will you be spending in Lisbon? Yes It's worth a day trip Cheryl.
In Évora you can visit:
The Évora Roman Temple
Museu de Évora
Noble Houses
Convento dos Lóios
Évora Cathedral
http://www.algarvebus.info/evora.htm
Beja is a pleasant enough town that you could visit from Évora and if you want to see two charming villages nearby then you might also consider Estremoz and Elvas.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Evora is definitely worth a trip, but there is much to see, so you won’t have time for Beja. The cafe at the Museu de Arte Sacra in Evora is excellent.
Posted by
U.S.A.
64 posts
It would be better if you could spend at least one night in Evora and combine the city with a visit/tour to a nearby Cork Farm. There are a few of these but we thought this one informative and excellent: http://www.corktrekking.com/
Posted by
stevens point, wi, usa
1194 posts
Hello from Wisconsin,
Evora is a great walled city to visit. But only if you have exhausted Lisbon.
I would suggest an over night in Evora and a meal at Botequim da Mourataria. If they open at 7pm get there, even though the doors are locked, at 6:30 or earlier. This will be an evening you will talk about the rest of your life. How can I say that? The food is great and fresh and served in order of when you entered the door. Mrs. does the cooking. Mr. runs the, what else can I call it, the floor show. He brings the entire seating of the 9 or 10 of you into a group sharing the experience. I see there is a lunch offered now. 12:30 to 3:00. Or close to that.
The viaduct is impressive. The streets and squares are nice and it is so much smaller than Lisbon it feels much more personal.
If you have been to a bone house, then this one is really no different. If you haven't seen one before, well here is your chance. Bone houses are a necessity. Look at a local church built 500 years ago. The cemetery is quite small. So what is going on? Families rent a spot for the deceased. When the people who cared enough to pay the rent no longer care enough or have died out. Then the spot is rented to a new occupant. And the old occupant? Stored in the bone house. Some places the church expanded and dug up the cemetery and the bones were stored. In a few places the bone house was given over to a more artist person and the bones got arranged into designs.
Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic has the fancy bone house tourists visit, and has at least one other house where the femurs are stacked to the ceiling.
wayne iNWI