Located at the highest point of the city, the castle was constructed in the 12th century to defend and monitor the surrounding area. To reach it, one must take the Rua da Olaria.

The castle’s robust keep, which dominates the entire walled enclosure of the former parade ground, and the challenges faced in accessing this area, highlight the obstacles Ferdinand the Great encountered when capturing the city from the Moors. This event is well-documented in the General Chronicle of Spain.

Several sections of the early 13th-century town wall still remain intact, with some houses in the present residential quarter constructed against them, as well as two gates: the Porta dos Fogos and the Porta do Sol.

The tower adjacent to the first gate previously served as the Town Hall during the 16th and 17th centuries. The enormous cistern, the largest discovered in Portugal to date, remains in existence, covered by a sturdy-looking vault supported by thick pillars, giving the impression of a colossal underground cathedral.

The Castelo de Lamego appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Lamego!

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