Historical route of the Lines of Torres VedrasUma História feita por fortes
What it is?
The Historical Route of the Lines of Torres Vedras is a cultural and tourism product that invites the visitor to discover this unique heritage in the history of Europe, through six distinct trails or circuits, which are distributed in a territory between the Tagus River and the Atlantic Ocean. The trails include a set of recovered military works, supported by a network of intercity interpretation centers, with unparalleled landscape observatories.
The RHLT meets an important architectural heritage, the result of a continuous work of safeguarding, restoration and upgrading, is now available to everyone. Know it is a rewarding challenge.
Besides the Strong RHLT adds six centers of interpretation, or host, that contextualize the visitor the historical period and social heritage that visits under different approaches.
How to get to know?
The trails or circuits of Historical Route of the Lines of Torres Vedras are unique and reflect each one particular feature of the territory where they are. The military works can be seen in total or partially, allowing the visitor to be free to choose its own visit tour.
In order to get to know the RHLT you need to choose one or more trails (or circuits), the visitor will have for himself a map and a guide Map Download and Guide Download, or instead you can also get more information at the six different Interpretation Centres:
Arruda dos Vinhos
Centro Cultural do Morgado | Largo Miguel Bombarda | Arruda dos Vinhos
Opening hours
From Tuesday to Friday between 9:00AM and 12:30AM and 14:00PM
Saturdays and Sundays: from 10:00AM to 13:00PM and from 14:00PM until 18:00PM
Phone
+351 263 977 035
Bucelas
Rua D. Afonso Henriques, 2 e 4 | Bucelas - Loures
Opening hours
From Monday to Saturday between 10:00AM to 13:00PM and from 14:00PM until 18:00PM
Phone
+351 924 487 297
Forte da Casa
Largo do Forte da Casa | Forte da Casa - Vila Franca de Xira
Opening hours
From Wednesday to Sunday between 09:30AM and 17h30PM
Phone
+351 926 531 121
Mafra
Casa do Risco
Avenida das Forças Armadas n. 28 | Mafra
Opening hours
From Monday to Sunday between 10:00AM to 13:00PM and from 14:00PM until 18:00PM
Phone
+351 261 817 170
Sobral M. Agraço (ICLTV)
Praça Dr. Eugénio Dias n. 12 | Sobral de Monte Agraço
Opening hours
From Tuesday to Sunday between 10:30AM to 13:00PM and from 14:00PM until 18:30PM
Phone
+351 261 942 296
Torres Vedras
Museu Municipal Leonel Trindade
Praça 25 de Abril | Torres Vedras
Opening hours
From Tuesday to Sunday between 10:00AM and 18:30PM
Phone
+351 261 310 485
Torres Vedras along the 1st Line
The town which lent its name to the Lines suggest one day in the field fortifications, built to house battalions of national and foreign troops, yesterday's soldiers, made travelers into the unknown. You can follow this route by car or by bicycle, or, if you prefer, when in the city itself we invite you to take a good long walk. With plenty of time to look back to another era...
Source
Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail. Guide. Vila F. de Xira: PILT - Plataforma Intermunicipal para as Linhas de Torres, 2011. ISBN 978-989-8398-16-1
Heritage in this trail
Fort S. Vicente | Fort Olheiros | Torres Vedras Castle | Fort Grilo | Fort Archeira | Fort Feiteira | Leonel Trindade Municipal Museum
Wellington
At the heart of the Lines, visit some of the most notable places connected to Sir Arthur Wellesley's stay on the Lines of Torres Vedras. From Quinta dos Freixos, where the allied commander established his headquarters, to the Great Fort at Alqueidão, which served as the command post for the Lines of Torres Vedras, passing through Serra do Socorro, which was the telegraphic communication centre. Wellington regularly used the roads and tracks between Sobral, Pero Negro and Enxara and these were strategically defended by a group of redoubts, including those by Enxara near Pero Negro and those linked to the fort at Alqueidão (Simplício and Machado).
Source
Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail. Guide. Vila F. de Xira: PILT - Plataforma Intermunicipal para as Linhas de Torres, 2011. ISBN 978-989-8398-16-1
Heritage in this trail
CILT - Interpretation Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras (in Sobral) | Fort Alqueidão | Fort Machado | Fort Simplício | Fort Novo | Military Road | Fort Grande | Fort Pequeno | Serra do Socorro (Interpretation Centre and Manueline Hermitage)
The Defence of the Tagus
The defence strategy of the Lines of Torres Vedras also included the wide banks of the river Tagus, near the town of Alhandra, at the starting point of the 1st Line. A flotilla of Royal Navy corvettes and gunboats stopped the invading army crossing from the south of the river and watched over the important road that ran parallel to it. The defence of the Tagus was strictly aligned to the forts and earthworks which had been constructed in the hills to the north of Alhandra. Visit the viewpoint next to the Monument of the Lines of Torres Vedras and visit the military works at Subserra, as well as the Heritage and Visitors' Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras, nearby, in Forte da Casa.
Source
Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail. Guide. Vila F. de Xira: PILT - Plataforma Intermunicipal para as Linhas de Torres, 2011. ISBN 978-989-8398-16-1
Landscape Observatory. Monument to the Lines of Torres Vedras | first Fort Subserra | Bartery Nova off Subserra | Interpretation Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras (in Forte da Casa)
The Great Passes
What we are about to suggest will certainly make for a different sort of weekend among the hills, whose summits seem to touch the cotton clouds, where the sun lights up the streams at the foot of the valley and where you can hear the song of the tumbling waters. This trail starts in the Centre of Arruda dos Vinhos, the town which the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques (1139-1187) gave to the Order of Santiago in 1172.
Source
Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail. Guide. Vila F. de Xira: PILT - Plataforma Intermunicipal para as Linhas de Torres, 2011. ISBN 978-989-8398-16-1
Heritage in this trail
Fort Cego | Fort Carvalha | Interpretation Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras (in Arruda dos Vinhos) | Redoubt of Ajuda Grande | Redoubt of Ajuda Pequeno | Fort Arpim | Interpretation Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras (in Bucelas) | Fort Aguieira | Fort Portela Grande | Fort Portela Pequeno | Interpretation Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras (in Forte da Casa)
The Junction of The Lines
The strategic concept of the Lines of Torres Vedras was based on the control of the access routes to Lisbon by which the French Army would arrive behind the retreating English Army, in the direction of the lines of redoubts. The main available routes were the Royal Road along the river from Alhandra and the road from Torres Vedras to Lisbon, with its connections to Montachique and Mafra. The area around Malveira and Venda do Pinheiro is a juncture of the Lines, where the Mafra and Torres Vedras toads to Lisbon cross. The roads network and the sharp contours of the region resulted on one of the largest concentrations of redoubts on the Lines of Torres Vedras.
Source
Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail. Guide. Vila F. de Xira: PILT - Plataforma Intermunicipal para as Linhas de Torres, 2011. ISBN 978-989-8398-16-1
Heritage in this trail
Fort Feira | Interpretation Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras (in Mafra) | Fort Ribas | Redoubt Montachique | Reduto do Mosqueiro | Interpretation Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras (in Bucelas)
From the Palace to the Atlantic
The National Palace of Mafra is the perfect place to begin a tour of the section of the historic Lines of Torres Vedras that runs from the town to the coast. This building was one of the most important settings for events in the Peninsular Wars, with many key moments having taken place here during the Napoleonic invasions of Portugal.
Source
Lines of Torres Vedras Historical Trail. Guide. Vila F. de Xira: PILT - Plataforma Intermunicipal para as Linhas de Torres, 2011. ISBN 978-989-8398-16-1
Heritage in this trail
Fort S. Julião | Fort Zambujal | Mafra National Palace | Interpretation Centre of the Lines of Torres Vedras (in Mafra)