Serpa - what to see and eat

Serpa is the perfect town for a day trip, you will have time to walk around and enjoy the old town, visit some museums, have a food stop and feel you've managed to get a good picture of this place. Here is a suggestion of what you can do during your visit:

1. Take a walk in the old town
Enter the city via the old gates of Moura or Beja (these are the original entrances which are still in place). You will get lost in a labyrinth of small houses, some fancy ones, some very basic, all of them have loads of charm. Between the houses you might find cheese shops, handicraft shops or small taverns serving tasty wine and food. Do not be shy, step inside and take a look for yourself. You might find cute pottery, some woven baskets, metal works, different textiles and crafts made of wood, cork or leather. They are very proud of their local crafts here and no wonder why. People still remember how to do things such as they have been done since Roman times or even longer in this region, never losing their roots.

2. Find the old city square
it lies just above the Stairs of Santa Maria (Escadas de Santa Maria) which lead up to the main city church devoted to Santa Maria. This church was originally a mosque which was later turned into a church when the Christians reconquered the city. The square bell tower, which was of a cylindrical shape before reconstructions where made, was probably the tower used for calling out for prayers in the earlier mosque. At the entrance you can see St Peter and St Paul looking down at you from each corner of the doorway.

On the other side of the square you've got the Clock Tower. It was originally one of the castle towers during Islamic rule but was transformed into a clock tower in 1440, being the 3rd oldest clock tower in Portugal.

3. Find the Praça da República, main town square
If you are hungry you can either wander about town and find a cosy tavern or go to any of the restaurants lying in the town square. We had some lunch at the restaurant called "O Alentejano" which was very nice. For starters, breadbasket, regional olives, house red wine and fresh goat cheese. The local specialties here is lamb, pork or wild game. We decided to order fillet of black pig and a lamb in olive oil dish, both were really nice and filling. This region has also many famous desserts, nuts and honey are popular ingredients among other, but we were too stuffed to eat more on this occasion.


4. Visit the Ethnographic Museum or Clock Museum
The Ethnographic museum can give you a better perspective of how this region has been inhabited and what tools people used in their everyday lives. If you have a passion for clockworks, this is where the only museum on the Iberian Peninsula dedicated entirely to clocks lies. The oldest time piece is from 1640 and they've got more than 2.300 objects in their collections, some of them fairly new since they acquire new pieces and people donate to them as well.


5. Visit the castle and Archaeological Museum
Everyone can visit both the castle and the archaeological museum, they've got an elevator who can take you to the upper floor of the museum and also on top of the castle walls. So even if you've got a stroller or a wheelchair, go for it! The museum is for free and is small but newly renovated, a nice break in the shade if you visit on a warm day. They've got the regional findings exhibited in showcases and free standing, divided in different time periods such as Bronze Age, Iron age, Roman etc. After you've seen the museum, go for a stroll on top of the castle walls, if you dare you can even climb up one of the towers and see all around town as well as the surrounding landscape. A must!