In Redondo, different travel interests come together: the landscape of the Serra d’Ossa, megalithic remains, traditional pottery and the wine culture of the Alentejo. You can combine these themes during your stay or focus on one in particular – such as trails through the landscape, local craft traditions or cultural heritage.
Landscape and trails of the Serra d’Ossa
The Serra d’Ossa stretches across the municipalities of Estremoz, Borba, Vila Viçosa, Alandroal and Redondo. Its flora displays many characteristics of the Mediterranean floral regions. The Ecomuseu is located near Freixo, in the northeast of the municipality of Redondo, and covers about 6,000 hectares. The area includes part of the Serra d’Ossa and the CORINE biotope. The former São Bento do Zambujal school serves as its starting point and visitor support centre.
The Ecomuseu de Redondo is an active open-air area where archaeological and ecological heritage can be explored directly. Those interested in combining landscape and history can find both on the Percurso Pedonal da Serra d’Ossa: the walking trail connects wooden boardwalks and compacted-earth paths with views of fauna, flora, centuries-old gardens and rocks associated with the mountain range’s eremitic past.
The Percurso Pedonal connects Aldeia da Serra with the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte Virgem. The church is a vernacular religious building dating from the 16th century; its foundation dates back to the 15th century. The trail can also be viewed through the lens of religious architecture and local history, without reducing nature and cultural heritage to a single theme.
Megalithic remains and history
The Anta da Vidigueira was built between the 4th and 3rd millennia BC on a relatively secluded plain near the Ribeira do Freixo. The megalithic monument has a polygonal chamber and a corridor. Seven granite orthostats – upright stone slabs – and the broken capstone of the centrally located burial chamber remain in situ. Four stones from the original entrance corridor are also still visible in situ. The individual structural elements make it possible to understand the site as a burial chamber with an entrance.
The Anta da Herdade da Candeeira also has a polygonal chamber with its capstone intact. A mysterious opening in the headstone is commonly called “buraco da Alma.” Those interested in early forms of construction can thus examine two different details: the surviving chamber and corridor stones at the Anta da Vidigueira, and the named opening at the Anta da Herdade da Candeeira.
The Convento de São Paulo offers a different historical perspective. Monks of the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit built it on a mid-slope of the Serra d’Ossa. According to chronicles, D. Sebastião, D. João IV and D. Catarina de Bragança are said to have stayed at the monastery over the centuries. Its mountainside setting and recorded history distinguish this site from the prehistoric monuments.
Pottery and museums
The Museu do Barro is dedicated to preserving and reviving Redondo’s traditional pottery. It traces the craft’s historical development and showcases representative forms of working with clay. This is complemented by handmade pottery produced at several pottery centres in Redondo and known throughout Portugal. The Olaria Poço Velho uses a traditional wood-fired kiln. These aspects offer different perspectives on pottery: its history, the forms of working with clay and the continuation of the craft in practice.
The Museu Regional do Vinho opened to the public in September 2001 and also serves as a tourist office. Its collection presents different stages of viticulture and winemaking – from working the soil to the glass. This complements the Museu do Barro with another aspect of regional production, presenting wine not just as a finished drink but through the stages of its production.
Wine culture and recurring traditions
The Adega Cooperativa de Redondo was founded in 1956 by 14 winegrowers. Group visits and tastings are available by prior booking. The Enoteca serves wines from the Alentejo alongside regional cheeses, cured meats and Alentejo bread; traditional pottery is also part of the offering. Wine, regional food and crafts thus come together there. The Enoteca also presents wine culture and regional heritage from vineyard to table.
Another way to experience Redondo’s cultural life is the Noite de Reis. It is celebrated every year and usually takes place on the night of 5 to 6 January. Local cultural practitioners and civil society sing the Janeiras from the castle to Praça da República. The route and participants may vary from one edition to another, so check the dates and programme before travelling.
You can tailor your travel plans to the experiences that interest you most and search for hotels in Redondo.
Discover more destinations: Redondo, Montoito, Coruche, Alcáçovas, Montemor-O-Novo, Rio De Moinhos, Reguengos De Monsaraz, Vendas Novas.
For the broader travel overview: Evora.
