E nchanting Óbidos is one of Portugal’s most beautiful destinations and one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval villages or walled towns. Everywhere you turn is a postcard view, and that has inevitably made it one of the country’s most visited sites.

1. Óbidos Castle; One of Portugal’s greatest medieval castles, it was once a royal palace but its stone interior has been restored and is now a hotel. The golden towers can be admired from outside, while the crenellated battlements and ramparts offer views of the surrounding valleys and over the whitewashed houses of the village.

Óbidos has one of Portugal’s greatest medieval castles. O bidos' castle dates back to Portugal’s Roman occupation, but its current layout is Moorish and the result of restorations and reconstructions from different Portuguese kings, starting in 1148.

T he Óbidos International Chocolate Festival transforms Óbidos into the world’s chocolate capital for about a week, in the months of March, April or May. Each year has a different theme, meant to inspire the amazing chocolate sculptures that are usually on display.

Óbidos is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval towns. O bidos is a gorgeous maze of narrow cobbled streets, and going through it is the town’s real main attraction. At each step on your stroll, you come across charming details, such as gothic, renaissance and baroque details, hidden corners, and perfectly-framed views.

How to go to Óbidos from Lisbon, Portugal, by car or public transportation (bus from Campo Grande terminal or train), including bus stop locations and ticket prices.

You don’t really need a map when you’re in Óbidos. Not only does it only have one real street ( Rua Direita , which crosses it from one end to the other, linking the town gate to the castle), part of the experience is wandering around the maze of streets and ending up back where you started.

Tourist guide to drinking Ginja de Óbidos, the famous Morello cherry liqueur of Óbidos, Portugal

The top 10 best and most recommended hotels in Óbidos, Portugal, based on guest reviews, facilities and location.

Igreja de Santa Maria is Óbidos' main church. O bidos’ main church was originally a Visigothic temple, then became a mosque, and in the 1100s was once again turned into a church. What you see today dates mostly from the 1600s, as it was severely damaged in an earthquake in 1535. The interior of the church