Is your wish to have a great vacation in Portugal? You need to see the nicest things of Portugal; Porto, Mountains of Central Portugal, Peniche, Lisbon, Madeira and much more!
History
Following its heyday as a world power during the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal lost much of its wealth and status with the destruction of Lisbon in a 1755 earthquake, occupation during the Napoleonic Wars, and the independence in 1822 of Brazil as a colony. A 1910 revolution deposed the monarchy; for most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms. The following year, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies. Portugal is a founding member of NATO and entered the EC (now the EU) in 1986.
Religions
The most common religion in Portugal is the catholic religion this is also the national church. There is also the protestant religion, the Islam and the Judaism.
Holidays
Here is a list of the holidays of Portugal:
New year, Good Friday, Easter, Day of the revolution, Day of work, Day of Europe, Dia de coemos, Sacraments day, Saint Antonius, Maria to heaven opening, Day of the republic, All saints day, Restoration of independence and Christmas.
The most of these holidays you probably know already there are some national holidays with it but most of them are celebrated everywhere so maybe it’s nice to join one of these holidays and have a party too.
Curiosities
There are a lot of curiosities in Portugal for example the football stadiums from Benfica or FC Porto. There is also in Porto a lot to see with a religious source. The biggest one you can visit is the cathedral called Sé. Also a good spot to go looking at is Lisbon with a lot of beautiful bridges and old houses that you can visit.
Animals
The animals that live in the area are not specific living in Portugal. You can find them in a lot of different Southern-European countries. In Portugal you will also find some animals from Africa as the chameleon. There lives one animal that is really unusual because it only lives in Portugal, South-Spain and China this animal is called the blue magpie.
Climate
The climate of Portugal is a sea climate. The average temperature in July in Portugal is above the 20 degrees.
Geography
Portugal counts more than 10.6 million people. It’s located in the southwest of Europe near Spain. The capital from Portugal is Lisbon. In Lisbon lives 2.900.000 million people. The surface of Portugal is 91.951 km2 that is 2.2x Netherland. The economic grow is 1.7% and the grow of the people in Portugal is 0.3%. In Portugal they speak Portuguese.
Nature
Portugal is a great green country with a lot of trees and plants. Some of this plants are orange trees, peppertrees and olive trees. For trees who need a lot of heat it’s the perfect place to stand. On the mountains you can find big trees down the hills you find just some shrubs.
City trip Lisbon:
Visiting Lisbon you will need to visit these fine spots:
1. Alfama, an old neighbourhood with countless people and steep narrow streets. The district is built against the slope.
2. Baixa modern district with many shops and restaurants and is now seen as the center of the city.
3. Bairro Alto, a cozy old neighbourhood with narrow streets and is one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods of Lisbon.
4. Belem, Lisbon suburb located on the River Tagus. There are many museums.
5. Torre de Belem, an old watchtower on the River Tagus. It is a striking building from the Portuguese Renaissance. Previously, the tower in the middle of the river, but by changing the course of the Tagus the tower now stands on the edge of the river.
6. Castelo de Sao Jorge. This castle towers high above the city and has up to ten towers and origin goes back to the Iron Age. From the castle you have a beautiful view over the city. Tram 28. An old tram which can be taken to the Bairro Alto and Alfama districts.
7. The monastery Mosteiro dos Jerónimos located in Belem. The designers of the monastery have been inspired by the stories of the sailors and the monastery decorated with oriental ornaments and decorations.
8. Elevador de Santa Justa, made by a student of engineer Eiffel. This is a lift of 30 meters vertically up from Baixa to Chiado. From the platform on top of the lift you can enjoy the view while enjoying a cup of coffee.
9. Padrão dos Descobrimentios, a monumental memorial for the discoveries. The monument is 50 meters high.
Handy
1. Language: Portuguese
2. Currency: Euros
3. Electricity: 220V AC two pin plug.
4. Time Zone: GMT, Time Difference: -1 hours from Holland
5. Phone: +351
6. Internet extension. PT
7. Food: Frango (chicken) Piri Piri, much fish Castelo Branco (goat cheese)
8. Drinks: vino verde, port
9. No visa applications. Passport or identity card is enough. Validity of your identity card or password until after your stay
Vaccination
Vaccination for Yellow Fever is required when you go to Madeira, at least 10 days before your vacation.
More information:
Page written with contributions from Sjors Beukeboom, Jorik de Groot and Rick Scholtens from Maartenscollege, Groningen.