Visiting the unusual Bone Chapel at Evora in Alentejo, Portugal
If you thought you’d seen everything in your life, then places like Evora in Portugal will make you think again! The 40,000 skeletons within Evora’s bone chapel welcome you, quite literally, with open arms. It’s a unique learning experience that our kids will never forget!
Today’s route took us across country but with a new face in the van! As the kids are very taken with their new friends , we offered to take Libby and Rana to see the bone chapel at Evora whilst Den, Amber, Keir and Lottie headed up through the centre of Alentejo… Hoping to exchange stories, they’d headed up to grab some of the famous Alentejo cuisine enroute and perhaps see places along the coast…
WWe’d decided that a short trip was necessary via the A2 but that we’d hope to try and see places like Beja, Viano do Alentejo before arriving in Evora. Rising out of the Alentejo plains is the magnificent walled city of Evora, complete with more churches than you’d could ever need… Plus the amazing and perhaps once in a lifetime opportunity to see an ‘ossification chapel’… like Andalusia’s Nerja’s Caves or earlier in our trip by the Pyrennes ‘Pic du Midi’….
It’s hard to convey in words just how amazing this experience was… and even better to share it with two kids who were enthralled from the moment they took their first glimpse inside the ossification chapel at Capel Dos Ossos!! Walking through doors that bear the title ‘ We, the bones that are here, await yours’! Some 5,000 bones have been preserved in history not out of some misguided needs, but more pragmatic ones!! The graveyards within the walled city were full and where do you put the bones of those who die… a difficult problem, with a unique solution!!
Every region should have Something special
But Evora is much more than just this chapel, so we set off on our bikes to discover as much as time would allow… Flying down the steeply sloping streets, down impossibly narrow alleys to find the other highlights of Evora! The city dates back to Roman times and flourished through the Middle Ages as a centre of learning and the arts!
It fluctuated in power and prominence due to Spain’s annexing of the region, but it’s historical sites and significance to Portuguese history meant it was awarded UNESCO status in 1986… For the record, and perhaps for your visit, dont miss these amazing places too
- Convento dos Lóios – A former monastry that can provide a decent meal now (as a pousada)
- Sé – Evora’s Cathedral
- Praça do Giraldo – the main fountain in the high street that has lasted from 1571 to the present day
- Rua 5 de Outubro – If you love handmade products from cork, check these oldy worldy shops out!
- Roman Temple – created to worship Diana, it is perhaps the oldest of the monuments dating back to the 2nd century AD… it has amazing views over the surrounding landscapes!
- The Walls! – Don’t forget to walk the two incomplete concentric walls.. full of history in their own right..
If only we’d had more time, we’d have loved to take in the Megaliths tour to the SW of Evora, but time was pressing and we had a date in Sintra… so we treked further north… for hopefully a special weekend in Lisbon!
evora
so where did we park the bus for the night?
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Summary Need to escape for a few days? Want to compare weekend breaks to top cities such as Bordeaux, Rome or Copenhagen? Does your family love to explore new cities too? Do you also think that city breaks aren't just for adults and are a great way to learn, relax and bond as a family. If so, grab a seat, make yourself comfortable & discover some of the favourite 'family friendly' cities we've visited in our 700+ day European Roadtrip
