Évora walking tour & city guide

Roman and medieval Évora

The Roman Temple of Évora, often called the Temple of Diana, dates from the 1st century AD, and its Corinthian columns still stand on a granite base in the highest part of the city. Next to it, Évora Cathedral, built mainly in the 13th century, has a rooftop terrace where you can walk among its towers.

Praça do Giraldo, the main square, is lined with arcades and cafés, and the narrow lanes around it are a pleasure to wander, with whitewashed houses trimmed in yellow and arches crossing the streets.

The Chapel of Bones

Inside the Church of São Francisco, the Capela dos Ossos is lined with the bones and skulls of thousands of people, arranged in patterns by Franciscan monks in the 16th century. An inscription over the entrance reminds visitors of their own mortality: 'We bones that are here, await yours.'

The Alentejo

Just outside the city, the Almendres Cromlech is one of the largest groups of standing stones in Europe, thousands of years older than Stonehenge. The Alentejo is a major wine region, with many estates offering tastings. Évora is about 1.5 hours from Lisbon by train. Summers are very hot, so spring and autumn are best.