Highlights of Alcobaça - Portugal
A lovely little town to stroll through the streets! There are various stories about the origin of the name Alcobaça. It lies in the valley of the two rivers Alcoa and Baça.
However, it does not seem entirely clear whether the city is named after the two rivers, or whether the rivers are named after the town.
Doesn't matter for the experience itself, so we'll keep going!
Santa Maria de Alcobaca
The Cistercian order settled in Alcobaça as early as the beginning of the 12th century. Later, in 1178, the construction of the Monastery started Santa Maria de Alcobaca . In that year, the site was donated to the order by King D. Afonso Henriques, in thanks for the victory over the Moorish regime.
The monastery is the first Baroque building in Portugal. It has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Humanity.
