The medieval, walled town of Óbidos is just 85km from Portugal’s capital city of Lisbon but it seems like a step back into time.
Its steep, winding cobbled alleys are lined with whitewashed houses sporting pops of indigo blue and sunflower yellow colours. Unruly bougainvillaea branches spread over their facades, and elsewhere, pots of colourful flowers brighten up the houses.
I instantly fell in love with this pretty town, which has been declared by UNESCO as a City of Literature, one of the only 20 such cities in the world. An old church has been converted into a bookstore, the town’s organic market sells fresh produce and books, there’s even a literary-themed hotel!
I stayed at The Literary Man Hotel, a bibliophile’s dream come true. Every available space is lined with books, from the lobby to the restaurant to the breakfast buffet and even the rooms.
I’m sure these photos will make you plan your trip to Óbidos, Portugal asap!
I wrote in detail about the Literary Town of Óbidos, Portugal for The Hindu Business Line’s weekend magazine BLink. Read it here.
Gorgeous images, Prachi! Once more wistful of my time in Portugal – it’s one country we will def go back to. Didn’t realise Obidos has such a strong association with books, we just stopped briefly at lunch. Next time!
Thank you, Charukesi! So glad you liked it. And yes, another reason to return to Portugal 😉
What an amazing town! Didsnt know UNESCO had such a list. Would love to know how this city turned so much to literature? And nice pictures too…
Thank you! You can read more about the literary aspect in my article, which is linked at the end of the post.