Castelo Branco : Michelin's recommendations

Situated near the border, this old fortified place dominated by a Templars' castle has suffered many invasions. The one by the Napoleonic troops, in 1807, was by no means the least devastating. Today the capital of Beira is a calm, floral city that lives off trade in cork, cheese, honey and olive oil. It has been especially well-known since the 17C for its embroidered bedspreads (colchas) that the young girls make for their trousseaus.