Tomar, Portugal

The Convento de Cristo at TOMAR is an artistic tour de force which entwines the most outstanding military, religious and imperial strands in the history of Portugal. The Order of the Knights Templar and their successors, the Order of Christ, established their headquarters here and successive Grand Masters employed leading architects to embellish and expand the convent in a manner worthy of their power, prestige and wealth. Tomar is also a handsome small town in its own right, well worth a couple of days of slow exploration. The old quarters preserve much of their traditional charm, with whitewashed, terraced cottages lining narrow cobbled streets that frame the convent above.