Évoramonte is a medieval town that sits along the western flank of the Serra de Ossa at an altitude of 1,550 feet. Drive up to the castle for a view that extends as far as the Serra da Estrela. The castle here, built in Italian Renaissance style, is distinguished by a massive round tower at each of its four corners. Also note the heavy Manueline ropes that run, like ribbons on a Christmas package, around the exterior; they're joined at the entrance with two tidy concrete knots.
The famous Alentejo soup, made with stale bread, garlic, olive oil, coriander, and water, is said to have originated in Évoramonte. The convention held here in 1834 to end the civil war between the Liberals and the Miguelists took so long that by the end only stale bread was left to eat—and thus was born the popular sopa alentejana.
