Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the plains below, and the superfriendly staff serve very tasty meals from a seasonal menu
- if you spot a dish with wild mushrooms
(cogumelos silvestres),
go for it.
Petiscos e Granitos
( 277 314 029; Rua Pracinha; mains €10-16; lunch & dinner)
Wedged between gigantic boulders,
Petiscos e Granitos' back terrace provides a fantastic backdrop for sipping a
copo de
vinho
(glass of wine) at sunset, with incomparable views over the plains below. Waiters
sometimes move at a geological pace, but specialities like game dishes and grilled lamb
chops with roasted potatoes are delicious. Closed Mondays in winter.
PORTUGUESE
€€
Information
Turismo
( 277 314 642;
www.turismodenatureza.com
; Rua Marquês da Graciosa; 9.30am-1pm & 2-5.30pm
Tue-Sun Oct-Mar, 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Apr-Sep)
The website has details of accommodation in the
area.
Getting There & Away
Without a car, Monsanto can be difficult to reach.
Rodoviária da Beira Interior
(RBI; 272 340
126;
www.transdev.pt
)
has one direct bus daily between Castelo Branco and Monsanto (€5.60,
one hour), leaving Castelo Branco at 5.15pm weekdays and 11.35am on weekends, return-
ing from Monsanto at 7.15am daily. Ask at the
turismo
in either Monsanto or Castelo
Branco for the latest schedules.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Idanha-a-Velha
Extraordinary Idanha-a-Velha is a very traditional small village with a huge history.
Nestled in a remote valley of patchwork farms and olive orchards, it was founded as the
Roman city of Igaeditânia (Egitania). Roman ramparts still define the town, though it
reached its apogee under Visigothic rule: they built a cathedral and made Idanha their re-
gional capital. It's also believed that their legendary King Wamba was born here.
Moors were next on the scene, and the cathedral was turned into a mosque during their
tenure. They, in turn, were driven out by the Knights Templar in the 12th century. It's be-
lieved that a 15th-century plague virtually wiped out the town's population, with survivors
going on to found Idanha-a-Nova about 20km to the southwest. However, the
