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Further Reading

Portugal

Lisbon is a tourist attraction centre due to its History and monuments: the Aqueduto das Águas Livres, the Sé Catedral, the Baixa Pombalina (downtown Lisbon) the Torre de Belém and the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. The Museums of Arte Antiga, of the Coches and of the Azulejo, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Centro Cultural de Belém and the National Theatre of São Carlos, the Oceanarium and all its surrounding area at the Parque das Nações are among other places worth mentioning.

The city of Porto has acquired an outstanding position within both the country’s and Europe’s cultural life. The city was elected European Capital of Culture in 2001. Worth visiting are the Fundação de Serralves and the Casa da Música, the Torre dos Clérigos (the city ex-libris) the Sé, the National Theatre of S. João, the gardens of the Palácio de Cristal and the entire historic centre. The Algarve, in southern Portugal is, par excellence, a tourist landmark for many Europeans, undoubtly due to its mild climate and the lukewarm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Madeira, visited all year round by thousands of tourists, is one of the most well-known international tourist landmarks due to its mild climate, exuberant landscapes and exceptional gastronomy.

Setúbal is another region of Portugal with its specific natural and cultural characteristics. The main locations are: the Serra da Arrábida, the beaches of Caparica and Sesimbra, the Natural Bay of Seixal, the salt ponds of Alcochete, the Moinhos de Maré, the typical boats that sail the Tejo and Sado rivers, the old fishermen’s villages and the local fauna and flora.

Listed as World Patrimony, other places must not be left unmentioned: Angra do Heroísmo, Guimarães, Évora and Sintra, the monuments in Alcobaça, Batalha, Tomar, the Palaeolithic engravings discovered on the banks of the Rio Côa, the laurissilva forest in Madeira and the wine landscapes of Pico Island and of the Douro River.

Other unmissable spots are: the cities of Braga (Historical Centre, Bom Jesus and Bracalândia) Bragança (Historical Centre, Castle and Municipal Theatre) Chaves (Historical Centre and Thermal Springs) Coimbra (University, Jewish Quarter and Portugal dos Pequeninos) and Vila Real (Mateus Manor-House and Town Theatre).