Marvão, Portugal

Marvão is the most dramatic and one of the best preserved of the numerous castellated hill towns that have long kept watch over Portugal's border with Spain. Walls surround the entire settlement, which is accessible only through one gate and is perched atop a steep escarpment.

Set on a great granite escarpment with sweeping views across the vast plains of the Alentejo region, the walled village of Marvão is one of the prettiest places in the whole of southern Europe. Located deep in Portugal’s hinterland within a whisker of the Spanish border, Marvão has been described as an eagle’s nest hidden away in the hills. A parish church and winding alleyways lined with low, whitewashed houses are visible from the top of the castle, whose origins date back to the Moorish occupation. Take a stroll along the well-maintained ramparts to take in the expansive vistas and appreciate Marvo's isolated location at the frontier. Long before the castle was built, a Roman town's ruins have been discovered in the valley below.