I visited the pleasant small city of Vila Vicosa on oct. the 6th,2024, stayed there overnight, and left at 8.00 a.m the following day, on oct.the7th.

First of all...

V.V is the kind of place that you like to visit, that is pleasant, that pleases you, but that doesn't really stay in your memory for long.

I travelled by bus from Lisboa's Sete Rios bus station and arrived around 11.00 in V.V. 

My rented apartment was just a stone's throw from V.V's castle,the Castelo do Vila Vicosa, and its archaeological and hunting museum. I visited the inside of the castle and its museums later that day. The impressive hunting museum alone justifies the entrance fee.

I climbed the accessible castle walls and walked on them as far as I could....great view of the city and the cemetery of the Santuario de Nossa Senhora de Conceicao. I then visited the church itself and its cemetery. Afterwards I quickly went to the Prince's Palace, where I bought a combination ticket for the Ducal Palace and the Augustine Church (Igreja dos Agostinhos)...however, the Ducal Palace is closed at noon and doesn't open again until 2 p.m. I was told that the tour wouldn't start until around 2:20 p.m./2:25 p.m....I should please visit the Augustine Church first. That's what happened and I followed their advise.

The guided tour through the palace was quite interesting and informative, but nothing from another dimension. We were a big group ( sunday, with many city visitors due to a bicycle race) and the guide only spoke portuguese which was fine with me but annoyed quite a few foreign visitors who couldnt understand the guide. 

I didnt want to visit the coach museum so that I skipped that one. After the tour I visited the ducal palace's garden which was only mildly interesting.I then went to the entrance of the nearby Tapada Real de Vila Vicosa( part of the unesco whs) which was closed.However,I took some good pics from the nearby viewpoint/miradouro. Then I visited the marble museum....nothing special at all.

On the way back to VV's city centre I had a short look into two churches,then had two cold beers in VV's main street,visited VV's castle a second time to see its museums, circled it,and wandered aimlessly through the old town of V.V.

I didnt really see any OUV. I fully understand the importance of VV and the house of Braganza for Portugal and its history,but fail to see the importance for the world outside Portugal.

Despite of all my aforementioned words Vila Vicosa is an extremely pleasant city that is worth spending a night there .