DAY 01 – PORTO
Arrival at Francisco Sá Carneiro airport. Assistance and transfer to the hotel.
City tour in the afternoon, with special focus on the largest synagogue in the Iberian Peninsula, the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue. This is followed by a tour of the Jewish quarter of Olival, which was set up within the walls by order of King D. João I. Return to the hotel. Overnight stay.
DAY 02 – PORTO / TRANCOSO / GUARDA
Breakfast. Departure to Trancoso, to tour the Isaac Cardoso Jewish Interpretation Centre, which includes the Beit Mayim Hayim Sephardic Synagogue. The tour procedes to Guarda. Free time for lunch. During the Middle Ages, Guarda hosted a Jewish community that still exists inside the walled city. Overnight stay in Guarda.
DAY 03 – GUARDA / VILAR FORMOSO / ALMEIDA / GUARDA
Trip to Vilar Formoso to tour the Museum “Vilar Formoso Fronteira da Paz ” in memory of those who escaped the horrors of the Holocaust during World War II. Drive to Almeida, near the border with Spain, to admire the beauty of the landmarks of the Jewish heritage. Return to Guarda and overnight stay.
DAY 04 – GUARDA / BELMONTE / CASTELO BRANCO / CASTELO DE VIDE
Departure for a tour of Belmonte, birthplace of Pedro Álvares Cabral, the navigator. We will tour the Church of Santiago and the Pantheon of the Cabrals, the Museum of the Discoveries. Tour to the Jewish Quarter and the Jewish Museum. Free time for lunch. The trip procedes to Castelo Branco, home of Amato Lusitano, a renowned Jewish doctor. The trip continues to Castelo de Vide. Accommodation and overnight stay.
DAY 05 – CASTELO DE VIDE / TOMAR
The Jewish Community of Castelo de Vide evolved mainly between two spaces: the old Largo do Mercado (Market Square) and the old Fonte da Vila (Village Water Fountain). Due to the Jewish diaspora, this community was mainly linked to the mercantile activities on the eastern slope of the castle. Free time for lunch. Departure for Tomar. Arrival and overnight stay
DAY 06 – TOMAR / COIMBRA
Day trip to the city of Tomar. The Tomar Synagogue, classified as a National Monument since 1921, is located in the old Jewish quarter in the historic city centre. This former place of worship is currently the home of the Abraão Zacuto Luso-Hebrew Museum. Free time for lunch. Departure to Coimbra. Arrival and overnight stay.
DAY 07 – COIMBRA / LISBOA
In the Middle Ages in Coimbra there was a Christian quarter (the imposing Monastery of Santa Cruz), a Jewish quarter (on the slope of the Monastery) and an Arab quarter (in front of the Monastery) which formed an ecumenical triangle of cultural mix. Tour to the General Library of the University, where you will see the ” Hebrew Bible of Abravanel “, one of the rarest books in the Library. Departure to Lisbon. Arrival and overnight stay.
DAY 08 – LISBOA
In the Middle Ages Lisbon had at least 4 Jewish quarters, which stood almost side by side over the centuries. Tour of the great Lisbon Synagogue – Shaaré Tikva (“Gates of Hope” in Hebrew), built between 1306 and 1307. In the 15th century, there were two assaults on Lisbon’s Jewish quarters: the massacre of 1506. Overnight stay.
DAY 09 – LISBOA / ÉVORA / ELVAS
Breakfast and departure for Évora. The Jewish quarter of this Alentejo city was one of the largest, most important and richest in the country. The trip procedes to the border town of Elvas, very close to Spain. Lunch. The Jewish presence in this city is known since the Islamic era (714-1230). Return to Lisbon. Overnight accommodation.
DAY 10 – LISBOA
Breakfast and transfer to Lisbon Airport.