Visitors come to Tomar (pop. 20,000) to walk wide-eyed through the castle, fortress, convent, and beautiful gardens that make up the Convento de Cristo. In 1160, Dom Afonso Henriques enlisted the Knights Templar to build a fortified castle at Tomar, then the weak spot between Lisboa and Coimbra. When the Knights fell out of favor with the Pope 200 years later, sheepish Portuguese royalty quickly founded a new religious order and gave them the Templar’s property, resulting in today’s unique collage of menacing medieval walls and ornate architecture. The rest of the town lazes beside the Rio Nabão, but goes into overdrive every four years for the Festival dos Tabuleiros.
The Rio Nabão divides Tomar into east and west banks. Almost all travelers need—the train and bus stations, accommodations, and sights—can be found on the western bank around the checkered Praça da República. Running from this main square to the river is Rua Serpa Pinto, which ends at the ancient Ponte Velha (Old Bridge) and becomes Rua Marquês Pombal on the other side of the water. Avenida Dr. Cândido Madureira parallels R. Serpa Pinto a few streets away, starting at the main tourist office and running into the Ponte Nova (New Bridge), the second bridge connecting the halves of Tomar. The bus and train stations sit side by side on Avenida dos Combatentes da Grande Guerra at the edge of town.
Finding accommodations is a problem only during the Festival dos Tabuleiros. R. Serpa Pinto is lined with great lodging, while budget options lie closer to the bus and train stations.
Tomar is home to some of the cheapest, most delectable restaurants in Portugal. Around Pr. da República, a full meal can be enjoyed for under €5. Still, there is no better place for a picnic than the lush Parque do Mouchão in the center of the river near Ponte Velha. The market, on the corner of Av. Norton de Matos and R. Santa Iria, provides all but the red-checkered blanket. (Open Tu and Th-F 8am-2pm. Flea market on F.) Several mini-markets line the side streets between the tourist office and Pr. da República. Supermarket Ponto Fresco, Av. Dr. Cândido Madureira, 56, is on the same street as the tourist office. (Open daily 9am-1:30pm and 3-8pm.)
Tomar is known throughout the world for its Convento de Cristo, an architectural treasure filled with peaceful cloisters, stunning domes, and beautiful, winding staircases. From the tourist office, take a right and follow the road until you see a steeper stone path to the left. It’s a 3min. climb to the convent. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the structure was begun by the Moors during the 9th century as a defense from insistent invaders. The attempt failed, and after the defeat of the Moors, the Knights Templar fortified the stronghold in 1160. One of the more impressive aspects of the convent is the area that surrounds its entrance: azulejo -covered benches beckon visitors to sit in the garden and admire the views of the nearby national forest. At the entrance to the castle, an ornate canopy protects the high altar of the Templo dos Templares, modeled after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Below stands the Janela do Capítulo (chapter window), a tribute to the Age of Discovery. Further into the complex lies one of Europe’s masterpieces of Renaissance architecture: the Claustro dos Felipes, or Claustro Principal. The Claustro honors Felipe II of Castilla, crowned here as Felipe I of Portugal during Iberia’s unification (1580-1640). Stairs spiral upward to views of the Terraço da Cera. The nearby Charola (oratory) was built in the second half of the 12th century and was the original Templar church. (☎249 31 34 81. Open daily June-Sept. 9am-6pm, Oct.-May 9am-5pm. €5, over 65 €2.50. Students free.)
The Museu Luso-Hebraico Abraáo Zacuto is the most significant reminder of Portugal’s historical importance to the European Jewish community. This synagogue was built between 1430 and 1460 and abandoned in 1496 when the Jews faced exile or conversion to Christianity. It is the oldest Jewish temple in Portugal, and it became the town prison in 1516. Over the years, it was converted first into a Catholic chapel, then a storehouse, and finally an urban barn. Today, it houses a small museum of Jewish history and a part-time synagogue, with a collection of tombstones, inscriptions, and objects from around the world. (R. Dr. Joaquim Jaquinto, 73. Open daily 10am-1pm and 2-6pm. Free. Donations welcome.)
Around the 20th of October, during the Feira de Santa Iria, handicrafts, folklore, fado, and raisins (for the Raisin Fair) fill Tomar. Since 1984, Tomar has also celebrated the Feira de Artesanato (Crafts Fair) during the first half of May. The biggest party in Tomar is the Festa dos Tabuleiros, a festival celebrating the Holy Spirit that takes place in mid-June every four years (next scheduled for 2011). Six thousand people swarm the town for a week to watch young girls walk in a 4km procession bearing the traditional 40 lb. tabuleiro (tray) stacked on their heads. The tabuleiro consists of flowers and 30 loaves of bread, symbolizing the 30 pieces of silver for which Christ was sold to the Romans.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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