JEWISH HERITAGE TOUR OF PORTUGAL
9 days/8 nights
The Jewish presence in the
Iberian Peninsula has existed for nearly two thousand years, even before
Portugal was established as a nation.
In 711, the Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula marked the
beginning of what many see as the Golden Age of Jewish Culture in the Iberian
Peninsula. The contribution of
Portuguese Jews to the arts, philosophy, commerce and sciences helped create the
rich cultural heritage of the nation. Our unique tour focuses on places of
Jewish interest, as well as the Jewish community who continue to contribute to
Portuguese society.
Enjoy the beauty of Portugal,
its old world charm of romantic castles, medieval villages and beautiful
coastlines whilst experiencing the Jewish Heritage of the nation, escorted by a
licensed guide with in-depth knowledge of Jewish Heritage in Portugal.
Program
includes:
ü
8
nights at Deluxe hotels and Pousadas
ü
Inclusive Dining
Breakfast daily
4 Dinners inclusive of Shabbat Dinner at the Beit Eliahou
Synagogue in Belmonte
1 Lunch
ü
English speaking guide throughout
ü
Entrance fees per itinerary
ü
Hotel
Taxes and Service Charges
ü
Transfers per itinerary
Day by Day
Itinerary
DAY 3 - TUESDAY:
ESTORIL / CASCAIS / SINTRA
This morning, after breakfast we depart to Estoril, once a
prosperous resort where exiled royalty settled. We shall visit Espaço do
Exílio, a small Museum in Estoril, which has a library documenting the many
Jewish families who passed through and settled in Portugal during and after
World War II. We follow the Atlantic coast up to Cascais, with its surprising
beaches and coves, climbing up to Sintra through a landscape of rare beauty.
This land overlooking the sea, covered in luxuriant vegetation, has long seduced
poets from home and abroad.
Sintra, the “Glorious Eden” of Lord Byron and ancient summer
refuge of the royal court, is today the natural setting for stunning monuments,
singular estates, houses and landscaped gardens. We shall visit the Jewish
quarter and the Royal Palace.
After lunch we visit the
Regaleira garden, an extravagant fantasy conceived by the Italian architect
and theatre director Luigi Mannini.
Return to Lisbon to
visit Synagogue Shaare Tikva, built in the early 20th century as Jews of
Portuguese descent returned to Portugal from Gibraltar and North Africa.
(B)
DAY 4 – WEDNESDAY:
TOMAR / COIMBRA
Today we drive south to
Tomar, one of the oldest and most
charming towns in Portugal, founded by the Order of Knights Templar. Visit the
15th Century Synagogue, now the Museum Luso-Hebraico Abraão Zacuto located on
what was once Rua da Judiaria.
We continue to visit the Convent of Christ, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, which once served as the headquarters of the Order promoting the
Portuguese Age of Discoveries. In
the afternoon, we depart to Coimbra, where we shall enjoy a walking tour of this
old university town, well-known for its New Christians, or Crypto-Jews, a town
which once had three Jewish quarters. Visit the beautiful Baroque library of the
University of
Coimbra.
Check in at our hotel. Dinner tonight will be at Arcadas
gourmet restaurant.
(B.D)
DAY 5 – THURSDAY:
PORTO
After breakfast we
depart to Porto, overlooking
the Douro River and one of the most ancient European cities. The city centre or
Baixa
was classified as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1996.
After
checking in at our hotel we shall have a walking tour of the old city. We visit
the Cathedral, dazzling in its mixture of romantic and baroque elements,
before descending to the Ribeira area where
we find the characteristic quays beautifully restored in their ancient stone.
Porto was well known among the Jewish traders during the Middle Ages. Today
there are only the remnants of a synagogue and a cemetery. In the city there are
remains of what was once a typical Jewish Quarter in the Middle Ages: steps,
narrow streets and balconied houses, with street names such as “Rua Monte Judeus”,
“Escadinhas do Monte dos Judeus”, “Pátio das Escadinhas do Monte dos Judeus” and
“Escadas da Esnoga”, which is believed to mean “stairway to the Synagogue”.
We shall visit the famous port wine
cellars, located on the other bank of the river, where a memorable sensory
experience will await us.
(B)
DAY 6 – FRIDAY:
VISEU / BELMONTE
This morning visit the Kahal Kodosh Mekor Haim Synagogue, the
first synagogue built in Portugal for Portuguese Jews in over 400 years. Meet
some members of this Community and learn about the history of the Jewish people
in this city. Late we drive to Viseu and visit Rossio square, the
magnificent Cathedral Square that embraces Misericórdia Church and the must-see
Grão Vasco Museum. Austere
and made of granite, this entrance gives way to one of the most beautiful city
quarters. At one of the crossroads stands a fifteenth century residence with
symbols revealing its past as the first Jewish synagogue.
Continue to Belmonte and check in at our hotel.
Later we depart to
the Bet Eliahu Synagogue for Kabbalat Shabbat Service, followed by Friday night
dinner with members of this unique community.
(B.D)
DAY 7 – SATURDAY:
BELMONTE / CASTELO DE VIDE / CRATO
After breakfast we shall spend the morning discovering
Belmonte. Our guide will lead us on
an interesting walking tour through the village. Your visit will start at the
Jewish Museum and will include the Judiaria, Bet Elliahou Synagogue and the
castle.
This remote and beautiful village of Portugal is rich in the
history and traditions of crypto Jews. Belmonte, famous for being the birthplace
of Pedro Álvares Cabral, the first Portuguese Captain to sight Brazil in 1500.
In the 20th century a significant community of crypto Jews, sometimes called
Marranos, emerged. Although they had practiced many of the rituals of Judaism
for centuries, they were unaware of their true heritage. Jewish communities
around the world came to their aid to help them rediscover their roots, and in
1993 the community welcomed its first Rabbi in more than four centuries. Shortly
after that, Temple Bet Eliahou was built. Amazingly, many of the Jewish families
still live in the town’s charming Judiaria, called the Bairro de Marrocos.
Later
on in the afternoon, we depart to Castelo de Vide,
a scenic and charming town. By the 14th century a large Jewish community existed
here. The Judiaria ran from the castle gate, down to the village fountain (Fonte
da Vila) and on to the Rua Nova. An amazing medieval synagogue stands at the
corner of the Rua da Judiaria and Rua da Fonte. Restored to its original
appearance, the museum today features the original 14th-century stone ark for
the Torah and the ritual baths. At the museum, we will meet locals
who will be pleased to tell the
history of this interesting archaeological excavation.
Continue to Crato
and check in at our
hotel. (B)
DAY 8 – SUNDAY: MARVÃO /
ÉVORA / LISBON
The day will start with a walking tour of Marvão: a
geranium-filled, walled village perched on a high rocky peak from where one can
almost touch the sky. This impressive fortress town served as an entry point to
the thousands of Jews who fled Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries. A few
houses still retain carved crosses on the door posts which were a necessity at a
time when Jews were forced to identify as Christians.
Later, we leave to Évora and enjoy lunch in a typical regional
restaurant. Évora, an ancient city of narrow streets, unforgettable monuments
and white, sun washed houses, is the finest example of a city of the golden age
of Portugal: a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986.
Evora, the capital of the Alentejo prospered in the late
middle ages. It was here that one of the largest Jewish communities existed up
to the 15th century and several houses still bear traces of the old Mezuzot.
In the historic quarter we shall find the building that once housed the
synagogue and the surrounding Judiaria.
A plaque commemorates the Jewish community, and Diogo Pires, the
Jewish-born 16th century humanist.
The former Place of the Inquisition stands near the city museum, with the
Coat of Arms of the Inquisition clearly visible over the main door. Take a
walking tour in Évora to discover its secret treasures and ancient history.
Later drive to
Lisbon and check in at our hotel. Tonight we shall enjoy a delightful farewell
dinner.
(B.L.D)
This is a tentative itinerary – Distribution of
sites & leisure time is subject to change.
(B) Breakfast
(L) Lunch (D) Dinner
HOTELS
City
Nights
Hotels
Lisbon
3
nights
CS Vintage Lisboa
Coimbra
1 night
Quinta La Lagrimas
Porto
1
night
Infante Sagres
Belmonte
1 night
Pousada
de Belmonte
Crato
1 night Pousada
Flor da Rosa
Lisbon
1 night
CS
Vintage Lisboa
Land Prices
Dates
Twin
Single
November 06, 2011
$3,479 $4,135
March 18, 2012
Prices are per person. Tour is
guaranteed on a minimum of four passengers.
Air is not included.
Please Email your information for reservation
Back to Jewish Traveler Resource