Alto Alentejo (High Alentejo)

Portalegre

Midieval Cities and Good Wines

Olive oil and Gastronomy
Alto Alentejo is a sub-region of Alentejo and corresponds to the district of Portalegre, whose capital is the city of Portalegre. The district has 15 concelhos.

São Mamede Mountains

The landscape of Alto Alentejo is marked by the Serra de São Mamede (1,025 m altitude), located east of Portalegre, the highest mountain in southern Portugal. A natural park was created around it, the Parque Natural da Serra de São Mamede. It happens to snow in the Serra de São Mamede during the coldest winter in Alto Alentejo. The Natural Park offers several attractions for lovers of nature, with its rich vegetation and its breathtaking landscapes.

Medieval Cities

Among the attractions of Alto Alentejo, in addition to the beautiful capital city, Portalegre, with its convents and mansions, and Elvas, the medieval cities of Castelo de Vide, Alegrete and Marvão, which deserve to be included in your itinerary to discover the region.

Elvas, a World Heritage Site

Biggest city in Alto Alentejo
Elvas, a city with many fortifications, has a historic center of great beauty, which has been classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco. The city of Elvas is just 8 km (in a straight line) from the Spanish city of Badajoz. The two form an important regional agglomeration, the Elvas-Badajoz agglomeration.

Location

Alto Alentejo borders to the east with Spain, limits to the north with Beira Baixa, to the south with the Alentejo Central and west with the lands of Ribatejo (Tejo Valley).

Land of Good Wines: Portalegre PDO

Alto Alentejo is the land of good wines. The vineyards are located in the great Alentejo plain, with the exception of the sub-region of the vineyards of Portalegre, which is one of the eight sub-regions of the wines of the Alentejo. This sub-region is "under the influence of the São Mamede mountain range. The vines are planted on the steep slopes of the mountain range or on large plains and in very of clay, granite, limestone or shale. Despite this, the low fertility of soils is a common element to all soils" [2].

Good food from Alto Alentejo

In addition to good wines and good oils, as expected, Alto Alentejo is the land of good food. Among the delicious local and traditional cuisine, the lamb stew, the oven roasted kid. Find out more: traditional cuisine from Alto Alentejo.

Alentejo Olive Oil

Terra do Azeite do Norte Alentejano PDO - Protected Designation of Origin - marketed under various brands and produced in the municipalities (counties) of Alter do Chão, Arronches, Avis, Campo Maior, Castelo de Vide, Crato, Elvas, Fronteira, Marvão, Monforte, Nisa, Portalegre and Sousel in the district of Portalegre.
Find out more: Olive oil from Alto Alentejo.

Sweets and desserts

Sweets and desserts are also very popular, especially boleima and sericaia made with the tasty Elva plums.

Counties of Alto Alentejo