Found just beyond the castle, the unusual Visigothic museum is housed in the former Igreja de Santo Amaro, parts of which date from the early 6th century, when it was a Visigothic church – meaning it’s one of Portugal’s oldest standing buildings. Inside, the original columns display intriguing, beautiful carvings. The admission fee includes entry to the Museu Regional de Beja.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Beja's must-see attraction is set in a 15th-century Franciscan convent and the backdrop to an unlikely romance between a nun and soldier that inspired…
Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana
27.34 MILES
Created in 1995, this zone of hills, plains and deep valleys around Serpa and Mértola shelters the Rio Guadiana, one of Portugal’s largest and most…
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28.41 MILES
Mértola’s striking parish church – square, flat-faced and topped with whimsical little conical decorations – is known because in a former incarnation it…
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28.41 MILES
Above the parish church looms Mértola’s fortified castle, most of which dates from the 13th century. It was built upon Moorish foundations next to an…
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28.38 MILES
This site contains the ruins of what was once a thriving Islamic neighbourhood. Some 20 dwellings were here, each with a classic Mediterranean layout – a…
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24.3 MILES
The lovely, shady Jardim Dr Santiago, at the eastern end of Praça Sacadura Cabral, is a delightful place. There are good views, a bandstand and shady,…
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24.23 MILES
The castle offers fabulous views across the countryside. One of the towers is the last remnant of a Moorish fortress. Rebuilt by Dom Dinis in the 13th…
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28.39 MILES
Next to the alcáçova (citadel), this interpretation centre is an accurately sized replica of an Islamic residence dating from the 12th century. Key…
Nearby attractions
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Dom Dinis built this castle on Roman foundations in the late 13th century. You can climb up the Torre de Menagem for fine views over the roofs of town…
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The view from the Torre de Menagem is a Beja highlight, and a great way to get your bearings over the city.
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For a dip into history, take a stroll through the corridors of this once grand hospital. It opened back in the early 1500s (only closing to patients in…
4. Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres e Museu Episcopal
0.15 MILES
Several museums of religious artworks opened in Beja some years back. So great was the wealth of the Catholic Church that no single space can display all…
0.16 MILES
This renovated attractive town square with a pelourinho (stone pillory) is the historic heart of the old city. Dominating the square is the 16th-century…
6. Centro de Arqueologia e Artes
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Under construction at time of research, this new museum will house some of the great archaeological finds unearthed in Beja in recent years. Pieces date…
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Beja's must-see attraction is set in a 15th-century Franciscan convent and the backdrop to an unlikely romance between a nun and soldier that inspired…
8. Núcleo Museológico da Rua do Sembrano
0.33 MILES
This modern museum contains more than meets the eye – the exhibition is underfoot and displayed through a glass floor. Iron Age finds were discovered here…