Portugal Offers Something Wondrous For Every European Visitor

Portugal is a country full of wonders to be discovered. No matter what you fancy, you will find it in Portugal. The country offers ancient cities complete with castles that were once occupied by royalty and Roman ruins left over from the Roman occupation dating as far back as 138 BC. You will find nature at its very best with the many parks and preserved lands. Visit an island vineyard hand forged over 500 years from rock. The beaches are exotic and the history is grand.

The history of Portugal dates back to the Pre-Celts and offers stories of kings and explorers, battles won and castles saved, some of which can still be visited today. The people of Portugal struggled through hundreds of years to make it an independent kingdom, and subsequently a country. Historical sites are in abundance in this wondrous country. You can visit the medieval town of Óbidos, the town of queens, named so because kings would give this town to their queens as a gift. Be sure to visit the churches built for the children of the queens at their time of birth. The queens' castle is still standing, as are the castle walls where you can view the aqueduct.

You won't want to miss the gothic monastery in Batalha, built by King João I in thanks to the Virgin Mary after Portugal's 1385 victory in the battle of Aljubarrota. The king and his queen are buried there in the family tomb, along with their son, Prince Henry the Navigator, who was responsible for the Age of Discovery. You can find a beautiful monument to Prince Henry the Navigator in Portugal's capital of Lisbon.

In Marvão, Portugal you will find one of the country's tallest castles, the Castelo de Marvão. This fortress has been considered invincible because it sits atop a rocky cliff, making it nearly impossible to access. But the trip through the rocks and thick forest are well worth it for any history buff. The Church of Santa Maria is in Marvão and has been converted into a museum, which boasts of many archeological treasures of Portugal.

The mainland weather is a constant 55° to 64° F so it is always a good season to visit Portugal. Whether you want to spend your day boating the Tagus River or exploring the ancient cities of Portugal, you can rest assured that the temperature will be comfortable. In the wintertime you can ski in Sierra da Estrela, the mainland's highest point where the weather is significantly colder due to the 6558 ft. elevation. Or, if you like tall places, visit the Island of Pico, where 7713 ft. is the top of the volcano that is Pico Island.

It doesn't matter who you are or what kind of vacation you enjoy, Portugal has something for you. Be it beaches, parks, castles, or taverns that boast the best wine on the continent, Portugal is a place you will not want to miss on your next European getaway.

Facts & faces

With Durant scoring 17 and Billups 16 in the first half, the Americans saved their most impressive performance in Istanbul for the knockout round, overwhelming the Angolans from the start after a couple of lackluster performances to close the group stage. Syracuse's Doug Marrone is already thinking about the Orange's road opener at Washington on Saturday night. Since 1964, Syracuse is 1-9-1 as ...

Travelers visiting the U.S. must now pay a fee to enter

The Starting Point is a snapshot of the news that occurred overnight and a preview of the stories we expect to cover today.

Cape weather: More sun, highs in 70s

Today will be mostly sunny with highs in the upper 70s, according to the National Weather Service, with southwest winds 15 to 20 mph, while tonight will be mostly clear.

The Needs Justify the Ends

Remember back in the good old days? Back when there was no government in Canberra and stocks rallied because investors knew there wouldn't be any moron law makers to pass moron laws? Ah yes...the good old days. Sigh. If there's a deal that puts a Labor/Greens/Independent government in place, you might expect that to be a negative for shares, inasmuch as it could mean mining tax and, down the ...

In Photos: Jennifer Thompson Naked, A Lesbian Kiss And Wayne Rooney’s ‘Other Woman’ (NSFW)

All the news and nudes in the Wayne Rooney sex story...