Sortelha, Medieval administrative parish in Sabugal, Portugal.
The stone fortress of Sortelha stands on granite outcrops, enclosed by defensive walls that protect the entire settlement from the 13th century.
King Sancho II ordered the construction of Sortelha's castle in 1228 and granted a charter to establish this strategic border settlement.
The medieval streets contain stonemasons' marks from the 13th century, indicating a payment system based on completed stone pieces rather than daily wages.
The main thoroughfare, Rua Direita, connects the eastern and western gates, providing access to key monuments and traditional stone buildings.
Granite formations around Sortelha, shaped by natural erosion, create distinct figures and faces within the landscape of central Portugal.
Location: Sabugal
GPS coordinates: 40.33139,-7.21139
Latest update: March 2, 2025 23:54
Portugal extends well beyond its main tourist centers. Away from the established routes lie medieval villages like Monsanto, where granite houses wedge themselves between massive boulders, or the fortified hilltop town of Marvão overlooking the Spanish border. Peneda-Gerês National Park spreads across forests, rivers and centuries-old settlements connected by hiking trails. The coastline varies considerably: Cabo Espichel with its cliffs and remote pilgrimage site, the rock formations at Ponta da Piedade near Lagos, the striped wooden houses of Costa Nova facing the ocean. The Azores offer crater lakes such as Lagoa das Sete Cidades, volcanic caves like Gruta das Torres and thermal springs at Caldeira Velha. Madeira presents the coastal village of Paul do Mar and the plateau of Fajã dos Padres, accessible only by cable car. The list includes religious structures such as Alcobaça Monastery, the bone chapel in Évora and Convento dos Capuchos in the forests near Sintra. Historic fortifications like Almourol Castle on a Tagus island or the fortress at Sagres on the continent's southwestern tip complete the picture.
Torre de Centum-Cellas
12.3 km
Castle of Belmonte
12 km
Sabugal Castle
10.2 km
Castelo de Sortelha
441 m
Museu Judaico de Belmonte
12.2 km
Aldeia de Santo António
7.3 km
Pelourinho de Sortelha
481 m
Solar de Nossa Senhora da Conceição
139 m
Pelourinho de Belmonte
12.1 km
Igreja da Misericórdia de Sortelha
624 m
Pelourinho do Sabugal
10.3 km
Pelourinho de Vila do Touro
13.1 km
Sinagoga Bet Eliahu
11.9 km
Câmara Municipal de Belmonte
12.2 km
Igreja Matriz de Vale da Senhora da Póvoa
6.3 km
Igreja Paroquial de Belmonte
12.2 km
Torre do Relógio de Sortelha
140 m
Edifício da Câmara Municipal do Sabugal
10.3 km
Câmara Municipal de Belmonte
12.1 km
Fonte de Mergulho em Sortelha
422 m
Casa dos Condes
12.2 km
Cruzeiro dos Centenários de Sabugal
10.2 km
Casa Árabe
491 m
Capela de São Domingos
11.4 km
Casa do Escrivão da Câmara da Vila de Sortelha
415 m
Casa dos Britos
10.4 km
Capela do Calvário (Belmonte)
12 km
Capela de Santo António (Belmonte)
12 kmReviews
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