Between August 25th to September 8th, don´t miss the Madeira Wine Festival 2019

From August 25th to September 8th, take part in the festival that's dedicated to one of the most famous products from Madeira island.

The Madeira Wine Harvest Festival is always the perfect excuse to visit Madeira. In Funchal, the allegorical light, sound and music shows are the high points of the celebrations that take place at other points on the island.

For a start, in the Estreito de Câmara de Lobos parish, 12 km from Funchal, the live wine harvests are an excellent opportunity to take part in one of the oldest local traditions, whether picking grapes or following the grape harvester groups.

To follow up all the activities integrated in the Madeira Wine Festival official program go to:
- Download the Madeira Wine Fest Program here.
- http://festasdovinhomadeira.visitmadeira.pt
- https://www.madeiraallyear.com/madeira-wine-festival/
- https://www.visitportugal.com/Madeira Wine Fest

August 2019 "Follow Me": Lisbon monthly tourist Guide for visitors

Before you visit Lisbon, check "Follow me Lisboa" and discover what´s happening in the Lisboa region during the month of August. "Follow Me Lisboa" is a monthly tourist Guide for visitors.

A bilingual guide in Spanish/English, and in Portuguese/French, it is a pocket-sized publication containing the main cultural and other events to interest to the tourist and a complete itinerary to museums, monuments, parks, gardens, hotels and restaurants.

Find more about Lisboa region at:
- https://www.visitportugal.com/DiscoveringLisbon
- http://www.visitlisboa.com/
- Brochure "Lisbon City Breaks"
- Brochure Lisbon: " A whole world to explore"
- 10 things to do and to see in Lisbon 

Until the 4 of August don´t miss the Óbidos Medieval market

From the 18th of July to the 4th of August, visit the Óbidos medieval market, and back in time.

©Município de Óbidos

Surrounded by its high town walls, Óbidos is the ideal scenario for hundreds of extras and actors, fully dressed in medieval costumes, who animate the town’s streets, as they portray noblemen, beggars, mule-drivers, jugglers, musicians, jesters and dancers.

©Município de Óbidos

The main site of the entertainment events is located next to the castle, which will be the location of jousting tournaments, on horse and on foot, medieval dinners and the market, where everything is sold from medieval costumes to traditional home-made medical remedies.

Find more information at:
- http://mercadomedievalobidos.pt/
- https://www.facebook.com/mercadomedievalobidos/

- https://www.visitportugal.com/ÓbidosMedievalMarket

Two new UNESCO’s World Heritage sites in Portugal: Royal Building of Mafra and Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has inscribed two new cultural sites in Portugal:

The Royal Building of Mafra: Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (tapada) and the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga.  As of today Portugal has 17 tangible cultural heritage sites.

- Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (tapada)

Located 30 km northwest of Lisbon, the site was conceived by King João V in 1711 as a tangible representation of his conception of the monarchy and the State. This imposing quadrangular building houses the king’s and queen's palaces, the royal chapel, shaped like a Roman baroque basilica, a Franciscan monastery and a library containing 36,000 volumes. The complex is completed by the Cerco garden, with its geometric layout, and the royal hunting park (Tapada). The Royal Mafra Building is one of the most remarkable works undertaken by King João V, which illustrates the power and reach of the Portuguese Empire. João V adopted Roman and Italian baroque architectural and artistic models and commissioned works of art that make Mafra an exceptional example of Italian Baroque.

-Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, in Braga

The site, a cultural landscape located on the slopes of Mount Espinho, overlooking the city of Braga in the north of Portugal, evokes Christian Jerusalem, recreating a sacred mount crowned with a church. The sanctuary was developed over a period of more than 600 years, primarily in a Baroque style, and illustrates a European tradition of creating Sacri Monti (sacred mountains), promoted by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in the 16th century, in reaction to the Protestant Reformation. The Bom Jesus ensemble is centred on a Via Crucis that leads up the western slope of the mount. It includes a series of chapels that house sculptures evoking the Passion of Christ, as well as fountains, allegorical sculptures and formal gardens. The Via Crucis culminates at the church, which was built between 1784 and 1811. The granite buildings have whitewashed plaster façades, framed by exposed stonework. The celebrated Stairway of the Five Senses, with its walls, steps, fountains, statues and other ornamental elements, is the most emblematic Baroque work within the property.

Find more information about it at:
- http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/
- https://en.unesco.org/news/six-cultural-sites-added-unescos-world-heritage-list

Source: UNESCO

Marvão International Music Festival: From 19-28 July 2019

In July the magic of classical music invades the dream-like setting of Marvão, in Alentejo.

With a focus on quality, through a carefully constructed programme and the selection of peerless musicians from various parts of the world, the Marvão International Music Festival has been making its mark on the European itineraries of summer festivals of classical music.

At the same time, this event aims to open up to a new audience and new experiences as it harmoniously links together various musical styles and other forms of artistic expression, such as the visual arts and dance, thus becoming an excellent stage for creativity.

Find more information at:
- https://marvaomusic.com/
- https://pt-pt.facebook.com/MarvaoMusicFestival/
- https://www.visitportugal.com/marvão-international-music-festival

From the 6th to the 28th of July the Agitágueda Festival brings a lot of colour and animation to this city in the heart of Portugal

The Agitágueda event, held in the city centre along the river, is world renowned for the originality of the Umbrella Sky Project, where over 3000 colourful umbrellas covered four of its main streets in an event of great visual impact. 



In addition to this and other facilities that allow urban art to be their distinguishing feature, the AgitÁgueda program includes performances, concerts and many amazing initiatives that make of it a unique event.

Find more about at:
- https://www.agitagueda.com/
- https://www.facebook.com//AgitAgueda/
- https://twitter.com/AgitAgueda_pt
- https://www.instagram.com/agitagueda/
- http://www.centerofportugal.com/agitagueda/

Don´t miss from 5-7 of July 2019, the FIA WTCR Race of Portugal in Vila Real

From the 5th to the 7th of July 2019, travel to Vila Real and prepared to be thrilled by the high-speed vehicles competing in the World Touring Car Cup. 

A street circuit oozing history and intrigue, racing has been held on Vila Real’s demanding hillside roads since 1931, when Gaspar Sameiro and Ercilio Barbosa conquered the original 7.150-kilometre course in a Ford Model A. The 4.785-kilometre layout now used is a challenging blend of fast turns, climbs and descents. While a handful of chicanes were installed for safety reasons, the spectacle remains unaltered with speeds exceeding 200kph on the final downhill section.

Included within the annual timetable of the FIA – the International Automobile Federation, this event will be attended by the world’s finest touring car drivers and involves car manufacturers such as BMW, Seat or Chevrolet.

Find more information at:
- https://www.visitportugal.com/fia-wtcr-world-touring-car-cup
- https://www.fiawtcr.com/wtcr-race-of-portugal-2019/
- https://www.visitportugal.com/fia-wtcr-world-touring-car-cup
- Portugal Race Timetable

Source: https://www.fiawtcr.com/