April 5, 2024
In the Footsteps of Knights
I was drawn to Castelo de Vide by the lure of Marvão, a fortified medieval village perched atop a rocky crag of the Serra de São Mamede. As one prolific CBer once said: “Come to Marvão! In my view, it’s worth planning a whole tour around.” Not to mention that Marvão is listed in the best-selling book 1000 Places to see Before you Die. The plan was to base ourselves for two nights in Castelo de Vide with the option of cycling 9 miles up to Marvão unburdened by paniers. I was also intrigued by the possibility of hiking to Marvão on a medieval path used by knights.
All options remained viable when Suzanne and Janos stopped by my door on the way to breakfast; however, things changed a bit when we were blasted with a howling wind. At breakfast, Suzanne and Janos confirmed that they were both taking a rest day, and I was hesitant to ride up/down to Marvão in the strong winds. Instead, I thought I would try to find the medieval trail. A 12+ mile out and back to Marvão seemed out of reach for me, but I loved the idea of following in the footsteps of knights.
Before setting out, I plotted a route on RWGPS. Not having much experience in using the OSM Outdoor mapping function, I just ask it to plot me a walking route between the two towns. I also downloaded the route from All Trails, but it began in Marvão and I couldn’t figure out how to reverse it. Thus armed with some sketchy routing, I set out – first through the streets on Castelo and then along small roads on the outskirts of town. Along the way I met Charlotte, a young French woman from Colmar who was spending a month exploring the Alentejo by car. She was out for a day hike, and headed off in a different direction soon after we parted.
The route continued down pleasant roads, past cork-out stands and fields of sheep. The All Trails description indicated the route was a mix of road and trails, but after 1.3 miles I’d not left paved roads. Frustrated, with the RWGPS paved route, I turned to All Trails and discovered 1) that it was tracking me, and 2) that I was less than half a mile from the trail junction. I soon found the trail sign and was so excited that I just snapped a picture and turned down the trail, not paying too much attention as to what the sign said.
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At first, the trail was a two-track dirt road that wound through small farms and residences. It later narrowed, becoming a small path that sometimes disappeared in the high grass. There weren’t really any views, until I rounded a corner and saw…the castle of Castelo de Vide. I was headed in the wrong direction!! I was hot and getting hungry and not inclined to reverse course. So I continued on my way, eventually passing through the gates of Castelo de Vide. I made my way up the hill to the town center, where I found Janos and Suzanne just finishing their lunch. I joined them for a cold fanta and a few laughs.
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We ended the day back at the tapas restaurant where we enjoyed such a fine meal the previous night. Janos' sardine dish came complete with little clothes pins, and we all toasted a successful day off the bikes in Castelo de Vide. Marvão will be added to the growing list of Portuguese towns for a return trip.
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And, the castle’s been standing over a thousand years, so you should still have time.
7 months ago
7 months ago