4 Best Sights in Tomar, Estremadura and the Ribatejo

Atop a hill rising from the Old Town is this remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can drive to the top of the hill or hike for about 20 minutes along a path through the trees before reaching a formal garden lined with azulejo-covered benches. This was the Portuguese headquarters of the Knights Templar, from 1160 until the order was forced to disband in 1314. Identified by their white tunics emblazoned with a crimson cross, the Templars were at the forefront of the Christian armies in the Crusades and during the struggles against the Moors. King Dinis in 1334 resurrected the order in Portugal under the banner of the Knights of Christ and reestablished Tomar as its headquarters. In the early 15th century, under Prince Henry the Navigator (who for a time resided in the castle), the order flourished. The caravels of the Age of Discovery even sailed under the order's crimson cross.

The oldest parts of the complex date to the 12th century, including the towering castle keep and the fortresslike, 16-sided charola, which—like many Templar churches—is patterned after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and has an octagonal oratory at its core. The paintings and wooden statues in its interior, however, were added in the 16th century. The complex's medieval nucleus acquired its Manueline church and cluster of magnificent cloisters during the next 500 years. To see what the late-Gothic Manueline style is all about, stroll through the church's nave with its many examples of the twisted ropes, seaweed, and nautical themes that typify the style, and be sure to look at the chapter house window, one of the most photographed in Europe.

In the 16th century, Filipe II of Spain became Filipe I of Portugal and also Master of the Order of Christ; to assure the supply of water to its headquarters in Tomar, he ordered a 6-km (4-mile) aqueduct built, with a total of 180 arches. They march right up to the walls of the Convent of Christ, but the most impressive portion, with two tiers of 58 arches, strides across the Vale dos Pegões valley, a 10-minute drive (or 50-minute walk) northwest of Tomar.

The 13th-century Igreja de Santa Maria do Olival—still set in an olive grove, as the name suggests—is where the bones of several Knights Templar are interred, including those of Gualdim Pais, founder of the order in Portugal; his original tomb slab, dated from 1195, can still be seen inside. The church later served the same purpose for the Order of Christ, which succeeded the Templars in the 14th century. Popular belief—supported by some archaeological evidence—has it that the church was once connected with the Convent of Christ by a tunnel.

In the Old Town, a stroll along the flower-lined street of Rua Dr. Joaquim Jacinto takes you to the heart of the Jewish Quarter and this former synagogue, now a modest museum. Built in the mid-15th century for what was a sizeable community, it is Portugal's oldest extant synagogue, though there are only a handful of Jewish families currently living in Tomar, so it's rarely used as a house of prayer. Inside, exhibits chronicle the Jewish presence in the country, which all but ended in 1496 when Dom Manuel issued an edict ordering Jews to either leave the country or convert to Christianity. Many, who became known as Marranos, converted but secretly practiced Judaism. The building was declared a national monument in 1921 and is open for visits. Call the Tomar Tourist Office in advance to set up a free guided visit in English. Note the remains of a mikveh (ritual bath) in the building next door, visible from the street through the large window.