The Historic City of Evora and the Chapel of Bones, Evora, Portugal

It was my last day in Lisbon and my last day in Portugal on my journey through Southern Europe two summers ago. There was one place I’d been dying (hehe) to see while in the country – the Chapel of Bones in Évora! So on my last day, I decided to catch a train to the city of Évora and spend the day there.

The Chapel of Bones – or Capela dos Ossos as it’s called in Portuguese, is Évora’s most popular sight. But the historic city has a lot more to offer, something I soon realized when I stepped off the train and walked into the city centre through narrow, winding streets lined with whitewashed buildings, remnants of the time when the city was under Moorish rule.

Miraculously, Évora survived the devastating earthquake of 1755 which left most of Lisbon in ruins. In fact, the old town centre is incredibly well-preserved and some of the medieval walls that once enclosed the city still stand, as do many other historical monuments from different periods of history. It’s no surprise that the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).