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.

Portugal Bond-Market Rout Overstates Greek Likeness: Euro Credit - Bloomberg

Bloomberg

Portugal Bond-Market Rout Overstates Greek Likeness: Euro Credit Bloomberg Enlarge image Portugal Bond-Market Rout Overstates Greek Likeness Portugal Bond-Market Rout Overstates Greek Likeness Mario Proenca/Bloomberg Portugal followed Greece and Ireland in seeking an international bailout last year as the euro-region crisis ... "Vultures" identify Portuguese debt as next targetReuters Portugal Needs ECB Action to Avoid Greek Fate, De Grauwe SaysBusinessWeek ECB's Cash Prescription Fails to Perk Up PortugalWall Street Journal The Economist -Investorplace.com all 246 news articles »

Portugal's BCP plans cash call after steep loss - Reuters

Portugal's BCP plans cash call after steep loss Reuters Cash call to involve new shareholders * Likely to tap 12 billion euro line for banks from bailout * BES also posts loss, but smaller (Adds BES results, quotes, details) By Sergio Goncalves LISBON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Millennium bcp, Portugal's largest ... and more »

Portugal Agrees to Sell REN Stake for 592 Million Euros - Bloomberg

Portugal Agrees to Sell REN Stake for 592 Million Euros Bloomberg Portugal's government agreed to sell a 40 percent stake in REN-Redes Energeticas Nacionais SA (RENE) for 592 million euros ($779 million) to State Grid International of China and Oman Oil Co. to meet the terms of a bailout accord. The price values REN, ... Portugal to sell REN stakes for 592 mln eurosReuters Chinese, Omani companies to take 40-pct stake in Portuguese energy utility RENPeople's Daily Online Portugal sells 40% of electric grid to China, Oman firmsMSN Philippines News all 28 news articles »

Analysis: Why ECB liquidity is not reaching Portugal - Reuters

TIME

Analysis: Why ECB liquidity is not reaching Portugal Reuters By Swaha Pattanaik | LONDON (Reuters) - A slump in Portuguese bond prices in the past month shows there are parts of the euro zone government debt market that massive shots of cheap money from the European Central Bank cannot reach. Free exchange The silent bazookaThe Economist Euro Banks Swap Cash for TrashTIME European Sovereign Supply and LTROCredit Writedowns Business Insider -San Francisco Chronicle -Wall Street Journal all 518 news articles »

Portugal Banks May Report 2011 Losses on Higher Impairments - BusinessWeek

Portugal Banks May Report 2011 Losses on Higher Impairments BusinessWeek Espirito Santo, the biggest by market value, may report a 15 million-euro loss, according to the median of five estimates, and BPI may report a 13.5 million-euro loss, according to the median estimate of four analysts. Portuguese banks have been under ... Banco BPI posts 2011 loss on Greek debt exposureReuters all 7 news articles »