Top Things to do in Alcobaca
The 5 Best Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Alcobaca, Central Portugal
Discover the best top things to do in Alcobaca, Portugal including Quinta dos Capuchos, Monastery of Alcobaca, Museu Do Vinho De Alcobaca, Made In Alcobaca, Museu Raul Da Bernarda.
Restaurants in Alcobaca
1. Quinta dos Capuchos
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 16 reviews
With generations of tradition in wine production, the winery Quinta dos Capuchos integrates an older building (1916), which together with a part of the Quinta de Santa Thereza was purchased (in 1925) for a great-grandfather of the current owners. In the older building with mills 1933, 1962 and 2015 use a traditional registration (fermentation open tank with feet action), for the production of the top red wines. The grapes are harvested by hand (with carefully selected in the vineyard), transported in small containers and then transported to the winery, having to arrive intact and in perfect condition (grapes that could serve to eat in the cellar).We do wine touristic visits to the vineyards and cave, as well as some events like corporate events or lunch (minimum 20 persons). We are a small wine company that loves receiving its guests and clients and sharing knowledge and endogenous experiences. For our guests that stay at Casa Velha or Casa da Adega, we basic breakfast ingredient.
Reviewed By livininparadise_13 - Shelby Township, United States
.y wife and I needed something to do on our rained out beach day, so we decided on going out for a wine tasting. We had our hotel call and set up the tasting. We were the only 2 in and got vip treatment. We were taken around the entire facility and shown their wine making process from start to finish including crushing, vats, cellars and the wine stomping vats. We would like to return one day and participate in the wine stomping. We learned the difference between naturally made corks vs. the ones made from cork pieces and glue. We tried 4 wines served with different appetizers. The wines were very well made, exhibited great structure, with wonderful noses and taste. All at very reasonable pricing. Our host wanted to make the tasting a personal experience vs. other mass tastings in other more popular locations. He succeeded. The tour was great with no pressure to buy anything. We were there for about 2 1/2 hours. I do not know if that was normal.
2. Monastery of Alcobaca
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,243 reviews
Reviewed By VadimM67 - Murmansk, Russia
There are two reasons to visit the monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça: to see one of the seven wonders of Portugal and the embodiment of the terrible love story of Pedro and Ines in stone. Despite the unusually beautiful baroque facade, reconstructed at the beginning of the XVIII century, mnastir itself is very modest, which corresponds to the price of an entrance ticket of 6 euros. The reason for the modesty is that the monastery belonged to the Cistercian order, whose main principle was to live by their work, and not to accumulate wealth. Naturally, the energy of messianism supplanted them. Including in Portugal. The asceticism of the order is reflected in the architecture of the monastery, founded in 1178-four years after the canonization of Bernard of Clairvaux, the main ideologue. The monastery of Alcobaça in the Early Gothic style reflects the way of life of the Cistercians. Simple lines, without unnecessary decorations and gilding. Most of the monastery's statues are made by the monks themselves. Tourists love manual work. Even this little was lost during the third French campaign in 1810. For example, the wooden choirs burned down and the church stands without them. But Portugal's largest library was looted. As the French say: a la guerre comme a la guerre.But the kitchen has been preserved! It is equipped with a water supply system, in the mechanism of which water still circulates. The water came through an artificial drainage system from the Alcoa River (hence the name of the city). The chimney, under which the fire was built, and the stone table for cutting food were preserved..There are as many as five cloisters in the monastery, although I did not see all of them during my visit. It is interesting that in the monastery of silence it was forbidden to talk, and in the monastery of reading the monks did not read, but listened to the readings. Some believe that the monasteries are not one, but five-according to the number of cloisters. But the most interesting thing is not in the monasteries, but in the royal tomb. The practice of collective burials of crowned heads was widely practiced in Europe: . in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, in the Medici Chapel in Florence, of course, in the Escorial. The main thing in Alcobas is the tombs of Ines de Castro and King Pedro I (1320-1367). Their sarcophagi are decorated with stone carvings that reflect both biblical stories and scenes of everyday life. Their story is often compared to Romeo and Juliet, but even Shakespeare's imagination could not make up this story of love and medieval cruelty. This story is told by all the guides.The heir to the throne, Pedro, in addition to his wife Constance, had a mistress, a Castilian noblewoman Ines de Castro, who gave birth to four illegitimate children . Father Pedro Afonso IV, fearing that the Portuguese throne would fall into the hands of the Castilians (as happened in the XVI century), ordered Pedro to abandon Ines. As Shakespeare's Romeo Pedro refused, then the king's assassins killed Inez in front of one of the children. Then comes the story "King Lear" Pedro rebelled against his father, who died during the war, and Pedro became king. Then a modified "Hamlet". Pedro obtained the extradition of two murderers from Castile and personally tore out their hearts. One through the chest, the other through the back, this doesn`t yet explain why we see the sarcophagi of Pedro and Ines next to each other in the monastery. Pedro ordered Ines's remains to be removed (after 6 years!) from the tomb, dressed the skeleton in royal robes and a crown, and forced the courtiers to swear an oath to the new queen by kissing the hem of her dress. Almost like Pope Stephen VI in 897. The king buries the queen with honors, and nearby builds a sarcophagus for himself to see his beloved at the Last Judgment. We see the inscription on the sarcophagus: Até o fim do mundo.. "Until the end of the world.".."
3. Museu Do Vinho De Alcobaca
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 42 reviews
The National Wine Museum occupies the old winery that was built in 1896 by Jose Eduardo Raposo Magalhaes to develop wine production in the region. A distinguished native of Alcobaca, he, more than anyone, was responsible for the progresso and reputation achieved by wine-growing in the town. He used the latest technology to build his winery and we can still see it today.
Reviewed By clas2019 - Forslov, Sweden
On the surface it may not be impressive, but the substance of its collection of wine production equipment, infrastucture, artifacts and memorabilia is absolutely astonishing. The guided tour was entertaining and informative - a great learning experience for wine enthusiasts and wine professionals alike.
4. Made In Alcobaca
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10 reviews
5. Museu Raul Da Bernarda
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 13 reviews
