Welcome to Beja!

Rising like a pyramid above vast plains of surrounding wheat fields, Beja stands proud as the capital of the Lower (Baixo) Alentejo region, in southern Portugal. Founded by Julius Caesar himself, it was known in Roman times as Pax Julia until the Moorish invasion in AD 711 when it grew into an important cultural centre.

Due to its southernmost location with the descending winds of the subtropics, low precipitation (especially in summer) and far from the coast makes the city a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. Indeed, it is the hottest city of Portugal and one of the hottest of the Iberian Peninsula in the maximum temperatures. While summers are long and hot, the city has also relatively cool winters.

Built in the early 14th century, Beja Castle affords panoramic views from its 40-metre-high keep. The 16th century Church of São Tiago adjacent to the castle is notable for its striking interior. The Latin-Visigothic Church of Santo Amaro, one of just four pre-Romanesque churches in Portugal, is also in very close proximity to the castle.

Situated at Almocreva, just 10 km southwest of Beja, lies the Villa of Pisões, once a place of Roman agricultural activity. Discovered in the 1960s, the partly excavated site dates from the 1st century AD and includes a group of houses with forty rooms, extensive floor mosaics, a spa area and sections of richly decorated walls.