Marvão, Alentejo, Portugal a dramatic medieval hill-top village bordering Spain.

Marvão is a spectacular medieval walled village perched 900 metres high on a rocky crag. The narrow cobbled streets lined with whitewashed houses many with decorative doors and windows from the 15th century, wind their way up to one of the best preserved castles in Portugal dating from the 13th century.

The views from the castle are truly breathtaking looking out over wild rocky landscape towards Spain and the Serra da Estrela mountains in Portugal, which are often snow capped in winter. At dawn, in the evening or when the mists close in Marvao becomes almost eerie as it rises up to touch the sky. This is a very special place.

Marvao is a UNESCO World Heritage candidate and one of best places to visit in Portugal.

In November the hilltop village of Marvao comes alive with the activity of the chestnut festival. Held over a weekend, the village is packed to capacity with young and old. Chestnuts are roasted, the new vintage of local wine is sampled, street entertainers perform, and there is traditional singing and dancing in the street. The local restaurants use chestnuts in all their recipies both savoury and sweet.

The Marvao Chestnut Fair (XXIV Feira da Castanha / Festa do Castanheiro) 10th and 11th November 2007

In the first or second weekend of November each year Marvao is transformed from its normal peace and eerie tranquility to become vibrantly bustling with traditional music, dance, street performers in medieval dress, the new vintage of local wine and of course chestnuts - in probably Portugal's biggest celebration of the chestnut tree. In a week of chestnut gastronomy that includes a myriad of sugar sweet chestnut delights.

The best chestnuts in Portugal grow here in the hills of the Serra de São Mamede and people travel from all over the country to taste the many chestnut dishes available at the restaurants around Marvao in competition to serve the best.

In all the streets of the village and the plaza below the castle will be found local crafts (artesanato) of the region. Sweet shops selling local confection and liquors of apricot, blackberry, cinnamon, chestnut, coriander, fig, nut, pennyroyal and cherry brandy (ginjinha) and "scalded" candies and maize cakes of honey and nuts. All characteristic of Alto Alentejo region. Also bread, chouriço, green chestnut broth, sweet chestnut rice served by the volunteer firemen.

Here are some pictures from 2004

Walking in Vale Lourenço

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