The Jardim do Paço Episcopal, one of the most remarkable Baroque gardens in Portugal, with statues and fountains evoking the history of the diocese
The Cathedral of Castelo Branco, centre of the city's religious life and an architectural landmark of the historic centre
The Centro de Interpretação do Bordado de Castelo Branco, dedicated to the famous embroidered bedspread, a symbol of local identity
The Museu Cargaleiro, featuring works by the painter and ceramicist Manuel Cargaleiro, a native of the region
The Castelo and Miradouro de São Gens, with views over the old city and the fields of Beira Baixa
about the place
Castelo Branco spreads across a vast plain in Beira Baixa, near the border with Spain, with the Serra da Gardunha to the north and the river Tejo to the south. Its origins go back to a pre-Roman hillfort and a castle built by the Knights Templar between 1214 and 1230, having received its royal charter in 1213. The city's name is most commonly linked to the ancient city of Cataleucos. Over the centuries, Castelo Branco was the stage for the War of Restoration and the Peninsular Wars, events that shaped the identity of this frontier city.
