Évora is the main city of the Alentejo, built on a low hill inside medieval walls, about 130 kilometres east of Lisbon. The old town is compact, and most monuments of the Historic Centre of Évora are within a short walk of Praça do Giraldo.

This page covers how to reach Évora, what to see in and around the city, and its food.

Getting to Évora

By road: the A6 motorway connects Évora with Lisbon to the west and with the Spanish border at Caia to the east.
By train and bus: trains and express buses from Lisbon reach Évora in about one and a half hours.

In the city of Évora

Praça do Giraldo: the main square of the old town, with its marble fountain and the Church of Santo Antão.
Museu de Évora: the national museum of the city, in the former bishops' palace facing the Roman Temple, with archaeology, sculpture and paintings, including a Flemish polyptych from the cathedral.
University of Évora: the Jesuit college of the Espírito Santo, with its church and cloister, still in use by the university.
Palácio Cadaval and the Lóios: a palace and a convent church beside the Roman Temple. Part of the convent is now a pousada.
Jardim Público: the public garden in the south of the old town, next to the Church of São Francisco and the Chapel of Bones.
Cartuxa: the Carthusian monastery of Santa Maria Scala Coeli, just north of the walls, still home to monks.

Near Évora

Monsaraz: a walled medieval village on a hill above the Alqueva lake.
Estremoz and the marble towns: Estremoz, Borba and Vila Viçosa, the towns of the Alentejo marble, north-east of Évora.
Alqueva lake: the large reservoir on the Guadiana, with river beaches and night-sky observation.

Food in Évora

Alentejo cooking: dishes based on pork, lamb, bread and olive oil, such as açorda, migas and lamb stew.
Soups: gaspacho in summer, and soups of dogfish, tomato or purslane.
Sweets: convent sweets such as queijadas de Évora, pão de rala and encharcada.
Wine: Évora is on the Alentejo wine route, and the Cartuxa estate near the monastery produces wine and olive oil.