A historic Portuguese village, Castelo Novo, has been recognised by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as one of the globe's top tourism villages. The settlement, founded around 800 years ago, was praised for its environmental initiatives and cultural heritage.
Castelo Novo, once called Alpreada, was rebuilt by King Dinis with Gothic features to protect his kingdom. Its main attraction is the Roman Baths of Quinta do Ervedal, a key archaeological site. The UNWTO highlighted the village's commitment to sustainability, noting it became Portugal's first location to achieve total carbon neutrality.
Visitors can explore historic manor houses, learn about traditional grape-treading methods, and follow the Miller's Way to see windmills that were once vital to village life. One traveller described it as a 'secret kingdom' with a picturesque stone village offering superb views of the Garduna mountains.
The village provides five electric vehicles to ferry visitors from nearby train stations. It is accessible from Lisbon in about three-and-a-half hours by train or two-and-a-half hours by car, and is under two hours from Coimbra, making it an ideal day trip.
