Tomar is a beautiful city, known as the Templar City and as the name implies, is eternally linked to the Knights Templar and their Order.
The city has a lot to offer its visitors and locals, from museums to churches, but certainly the most noteworthy is the Convent of Christ.
CONVENT OF CHRIST AND THE CASTLE OF TOMAR
The Castle of Tomar and the Convent of Christ are must-see spots in the City of the Templars, they were classified as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1983.
The Castle of Tomar was built by D. Gualdim Pais, Knight of D. Afonso Henriques and Grand Master of the Templars, in 1160. Its construction is closely linked to the reconquest of the kingdom and the role played by the Order of the Temple in this process.
It was the seat of the Order of the Temple until 1314 and of the Order of Christ from 1357.
These monuments dazzle visitors as soon as they arrive with their well-kept gardens, inside we could not fail to mention the Charola and the famous Manueline-style Chapter Window.
NATIONAL FOREST OF THE SEVEN MOUNT
The Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes, the Cerca do Convento de Cristo, was once also known as Lugar dos Sete Montes, precisely because it integrates a mountain massif of seven hills, one of which stands out the Templar Castle.
It is the main park in Tomar and also the largest green area in the city.
PEGÃO AQUEDUCT
The Aqueduct of the Convent of Christ has a magnificent view, it was built by Filipe I to supply water to the Convent of Christ. It is about 6 km long and 30 meters high, being classified as a National Monument since 1910.
REPUBLIC SQUARE
This is the main square in Tomar and it is here that the former Royal Palaces of D. Manuel I, now the Municipality of Tomar, and the statue of the Templar Master who founded Tomar, D. Gualdim Pais, can be found.
The historic center of Tomar is easily accessible on foot, where you can enjoy the walk to admire the architecture and examples of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as the beautiful tiles on the facades.
CHURCH OF SÃO JOHN BAPTISTA
The Igreja Matriz de São João Baptista, also located in Praça da República, is a late Gothic temple, completed in the early 16th century.
CORREDOURA (RUA SERPA PINTO)
Rua Serpa Pinto is its official name, but if someone calls it Corredoura, don't be surprised. It got that name for being the way.
The path that the knights once took to reach the castle is today the main shopping street in the historic center of Tomar.
SINAGOGA DE TOMAR AND FORMER JEWISH DEPARTMENT OF TOMAR INTERPRETATIVE NUCLEUS OF THE SINAGOGA DE TOMAR
In this street there are traces of the Jewish community of the city, we find the Synagogue in the middle of the old Hebrew quarter, made up of narrow and flowery streets, ideal for strolling and discovering the best that the Historic Center has to offer.
The Synagogue of Tomar is extremely important as it is considered the last example of a medieval-Hebrew temple in good condition.
The temple was built by Infante D. Henrique, the Navigator, to whom the Jewish community financed part of the work of the Discoveries.
Since 2019, the Interpretive Center of the Synagogue of Tomar has been open, also on the same street, and essential to learn about the history of the Jewish community in the city.
LOPES-GRAÇA MEMORY HOUSE
Casa Memória works as a documentary and artistic center, where we can get to know better the life and work of Fernando Lopes-Graça, Portuguese composer, conductor and musicologist.
CONTEMPORARY ART CORE
This municipal museum was born from the donation of part of his personal art collection by Professor José-Augusto França, a collection that is the result of his work as an art critic and historian.
The role of the Contemporary Art Nucleus is fundamental in the promotion and dissemination of 20th century Portuguese art.
CHAPEL OF SANTA IRIA
The chapel that keeps alive the legend of Santa Iria, patron saint of the city. It was built on the banks of the River Nabão in the second half of the 15th century, although a chapel dedicated to the saint had existed since 1317.
LEVADA DE TOMAR CULTURAL COMPLEX TOMAR POWER PLANT FOUNDATION TOMARENSE
Levada de Tomar is a building complex that dates back to the end of the twelfth century, which continued to grow not only in size, but also in terms of technology, its activity linked to industry and which continued until the end of the twentieth century, with exceptions that remained until the beginning of the 21st century.
In this complex it is possible to see buildings of the mills and mills that worked with the force of the Nabão River, but also the old Electric Power Station.
The entire complex has been architecturally restored, with the last alteration made to the Foundry, which allowed the opening of this new museum space to the public in Tomar and its visitors, revealing another part of the history of the City of Tomar: the foundry and locksmith shop that once worked here.
MOUCHÃO PARK
In Parque do Mouchão we find another green space, this time in the middle of the city, it is the perfect place between the hustle of the city world and the tranquility that nature gives us, ideal for both stopping for 5 minutes and enjoying a calm afternoon.
It is in the Várzea Pequena Garden that we can also find the Bandstand, representing an inestimable historical and cultural value, from a time when culture was promoted in natural spaces like this.
CONVENT OF SAN FRANCISCO
The Convent of São Francisco was founded in 1624 by Franciscan friars. Inside it we find the Convent church, and in one of the two cloisters belonging to the Convento de São Francisco, the Fósforos museum and the Pottery and Tiles Workshop.
CHURCH OF THE CONVENT OF SÃO FRANCISCO
The construction started in 1628, in the church we highlight in the first chapel next to the Gospel, the image of Santa Iria, patron saint of the city of Tomar.
MUSEUM OF MATCHES
This museum, the only one of its kind in Portugal and undoubtedly one of the most original in the world, conserves a collection of more than 60,000 matchboxes donated by Aquiles da Mota Lima in 1980.
POTTERY AND TILE WORKSHOP
This magnificent space is easily found, right in front of the Matches Museum, it is a workshop where you can observe this authentic art that is the work done in pottery and tiles.
CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DO OLIVAL
Gothic church from the mid-13th century, built on the site of the old Templar church built by D. Gualdim Pais. It is here that the tombstone of D. Gualdim Pais, the great founder of the city of Tomar, is found.
Enjoy everything the city has to offer! Best of all, with the exception of the Convent of Christ, all other places are free to enter.
