Walking the Wall

Location:
Óbidos, Portugal

City Walk

By Christopher Minster

The entire town of Óbidos is ringed by a high stone wall, constructed during the medieval era. Back in the day, defenders would man the wall and guard towers with bows, crossbows and other weapons to help fight off enemy attackers. There are gatehouses and watchtowers spread out along the wall, which allowed defenders protection but today offer marvelous views of the countryside.  The whole wall is about a mile long and is in the form of an oddly-shaped loop. The old walkway where medieval guards patrolled is still mostly intact and is a safe and popular place to walk, but be warned that there are no safety rails: you could fall 40 feet into the city! If you suffer from fear of heights or vertigo you might want to pass.

Near the castle at one end of town, the walkway stops and you’ll have to sort of go around the castle and pick up the path again on the other side (the entrance is a little hard to spot). Still, the walk is a great, fun trip and should not be missed.  As you walk, you’ll be able to see down over the city as well as the surrounding fields: a great view!

Plan on about 2 hours to walk all the way around at a leisurely pace to take in all the sights.

Getting There
There are several stairs around the city that offer access to the walkways on top of the wall.

Travel Tips: Bring a hat and sunscreen.

Price Description: Free!

Relative price: Free