About Beja

Beja sits on a low hill above the plains of the Baixo Alentejo, the district capital of a region better known for wheat, cork and heat than for a cultural calendar. That reputation is out of date. Beja na Rua turns the historic centre into an open-air venue across the summer, with music, theatre, street art and animation spread through the old town.

The city is old even by Portuguese standards. Julius Caesar founded Pax Julia here around 48 BCE after making peace with the Lusitanians; under Augustus it became Pax Augusta, and under the Umayyads, Baja — the name the modern city still carries. It passed permanently into Portuguese hands in 1234 and was restored to city status by Manuel I in 1521.

What to see

Castelo de Beja — the 13th-century keep is the tallest in Portugal at roughly 40 m, with 197 steps of spiral staircase and a view across the whole plain.
Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição — now the Museu Rainha Dona Leonor, with Renaissance painting and some of the finest tile work in the south.
Igreja de Santo Amaro — one of only four surviving pre-Romanesque churches in Portugal, holding a Visigothic collection.

Festivals

Beja na Rua — street arts, music, theatre, cinema and animation from late July to late September, spread across four themed bairros in the old town. Free entry.

Getting there

Beja is about 180 km southeast of Lisbon, roughly two hours by car on the A2/IP8 or by direct CP train from Lisbon's Entrecampos and Sete Rios stations. Rede Expressos runs coaches from Lisbon, Faro and Évora. The historic centre is small and best walked; most of the festival programming happens within a few hundred metres of Praça da República.