Portugal travel articles
Explore PortugalOnline articles about History & Geography, with practical travel information, destination ideas and planning advice for Portugal.
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See a Portugal ancestry trip example that pairs family-record research with Lisbon, Porto, and your ancestral hometown, planned with deep local insight.
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On April 25, 1974, a military movement overthrew Portugal’s authoritarian regime in a single dramatic day. What began as a carefully coordinated coup by officers of the Movimento das Forças Armadas (MFA) quickly became something larger as civilians poured into the streets in support of the soldiers. The event became known around the world as […]
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Yes. Yes you should. The tremendous breadth of activities, sights, landscapes and experiences means Portugal truly has something for everyone. So if you fall into one of these ten categories of travelers, book your trip today!
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The Barcelos Rooster, or Galo de Barcelos, is one of the most recognizable symbols of Portugal. The brightly painted rooster appears on ceramics, textiles, signs and souvenirs throughout the country, but its story begins in the northern town of Barcelos, in Portugal’s Minho region. Behind the familiar image is a medieval legend about a pilgrim, […]
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A Brief History of Portugal — 4-Part Series Part 1: The Portuguese Empire Part 2: Religion in Portugal Part 3: Timeline of Portuguese History Part 4: Portuguese Explorers Religion has shaped Portuguese culture, politics, architecture, festivals and ideas about national identity for many centuries. Roman Catholicism remains the country’s largest religious tradition, but the history […]
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A Brief History of Portugal — 4-Part Series Part 1: The Portuguese Empire Part 2: Religion in Portugal Part 3: Timeline of Portuguese History Part 4: Portuguese Explorers For several centuries, Portugal built a maritime empire that connected Atlantic islands, the coasts of Africa, Brazil, the Indian Ocean and parts of Asia. It was never […]
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Belem Tower, also called Torre de Belem, is one of the most recognizable historical sites in Lisbon. Portuguese explorers sailed past the this fortress on their way in and out of the city. Today, the site attracts over 500,000 visitors each year. If you’re planning on becoming one of those visitors, there are a few […]
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Lourdes, in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, is one of the world’s best-known Catholic pilgrimage destinations. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes developed around the Grotto of Massabielle, where 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous reported a series of Marian apparitions in 1858. Today the sanctuary welcomes more than three million pilgrims and visitors in a […]
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Portuguese music, culture and travel guide Fado is one of Portugal’s most recognizable cultural expressions: a tradition built around voice, poetry and the distinctive sound of the Portuguese guitar. It is especially associated with Lisbon, where it developed in popular urban settings during the 19th century, and with Coimbra, whose university culture shaped a related […]
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A Brief History of Portugal — 4-Part Series Part 1: The Portuguese Empire Part 2: Religion in Portugal Part 3: Timeline of Portuguese History Part 4: Portuguese Explorers Portugal is one of Europe’s oldest states, but its history began long before the Kingdom of Portugal appeared in the 12th century. The territory was shaped by […]
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