What to See in Tomar, Portugal: a Knights Templar City
If your foreign friends come to visit you in Lisbon more than once, odds are you’re sick of showing them Sintra, Belém, or Cascais. You both want to see something new and exciting, but your bucket lists won’t always match.
Too far, too seasidy, too small, too expensive — we were struggling to find a place where I haven’t been that was affordable to get to and also showed a different side of Portugal to Nick’s family. After a bit of research on Sunday morning, we finally settled for Tomar.
Tomar is a Knights Templar city that dates back to the 12th century and is only two hours away from Lisbon.
I did visit Tomar in 2013 for one of my dad’s conferences, but I figured it was worth going back, and I am glad that I did!
At 12:15 p.m., we were queueing in Santa Apolónia to buy train tickets. After a few misunderstandings over senior and young discounts, we took over a six-seater on the train and settled there until Tomar.
We passed by numerous towns and villages, and I made a list of places I want to visit. I would love to do an article about the whole train route between Lisbon and Tomar!
Things to see in Tomar, Portugal
The first thing we spotted when we got off the train was a hill with the wall surrounding Convento de Cristo, a convent with an astonishing architecture that combines Manueline, Gothic, and Renaissance styles. It was inside this wall that Tomar was born.
Far from the historical sites and its unique churches, the city also has a modern vibe. Casa dos Cubos and the Centre for Contemporary Art, for example, house some of the best Portuguese modern artworks.
There’s even a Matchbox Museum, which holds one of the biggest private matchbox collections in Europe. I guess I’ll save that for my third visit.
Tickets for the Convento de Cristo: A normal ticket costs €6, but there are discounts for children below 12, students and seniors. You can buy them directly at the convent.
We walked towards the center, guided by the Knights Templar’ crosses. Occasionally we would stop to admire the buildings’ facades or capture its reflections on the Nabão River.
Nick’s uncle, who taught me how to fish during our Poland tour, was taken by the carps swimming under the bridges.
“That is what I am used to fishing, ” he said while he pointed to the biggest ones of the shoal.
Traditional Tomar Sweets
At this point, we started getting peckish so we looked for a place to snack. I read about the delicious sweets made in Tomar, like Fatias de Tomar and Beija-me depressa (Kiss me Quickly), but I decided to trade the egg overload for a hot dog instead.
Gastronomy aside, we did get a feel of the city by walking around the castle wall, visiting the churches, and chatting with local people.
We spent around four hours exploring Tomar. Some enjoyed the sun on the main square, while others hiked up the hill to enjoy the best view.
Nick got to see a new city, and I got to know a bit more about the Knight Templar’s history. Maybe that will come in handy for the next Lisbon pub quiz.
I plan to go back to Tomar in 2019 to see Festa dos Tabuleiros (Festival of the Trays). The festival takes over the city every four years in July. It’s an ancient tradition, where women carry a tower of bread and flowers on their heads and do a parade like this one.
Sounds like a good enough reason to visit again 🙂
How to get to Tomar by train from Lisbon
You can get a train from Lisbon to Tomar from Santa Apolónia or the Oriente train station. The journey takes around 2 hours. You can find the train schedules here. Tickets cost between €10 to €15, but you can get cheaper ones if you book at least ten days in advance. There are also discounts for young people and seniors.
Note: There’s an option to choose your discount at the end of your booking.