Alcobaça Monastery

Alcobaça Monastery tickets: which one to buy

The Monastery of Alcobaça stands in the centre of the town of Alcobaça in central Portugal, about an hour and a half north of Lisbon, and a ticket is required for the monastery, while the church itself is free. It is one of the greatest medieval monasteries in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Day tours from Lisbon often combine Alcobaça with Batalha Monastery, Nazaré and Óbidos, or with Fátima, and a combined ticket for the monasteries of Alcobaça, Batalha and the Convent of Christ in Tomar is available and good value.

Alcobaça is also famous for its sweets, made from old convent recipes, and for its cherry liqueur. The square in front of the monastery has cafes and pastry shops. Buses connect Alcobaça with Lisbon, Nazaré and Leiria. The monastery is large, and a visit takes an hour or more. The monastery ticket office is to the right of the church entrance, and audio guides are available.

Visiting Alcobaça Monastery: what to see

The monastery was founded in 1153 by Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, who gave the land to the Cistercian monks of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in thanks for his victory over the Moors at Santarém. The church, completed in 1252, is the largest church in Portugal and one of the finest examples of Cistercian Gothic architecture, with a long, austere, bright nave of great height. It holds the tombs of King Pedro I and Inês de Castro, the Galician noblewoman he loved and who was murdered on his father's orders in 1355; after becoming king, Pedro had her body exhumed and crowned queen. The tombs, carved with extraordinary detail, face each other so that the lovers will see each other first on the Day of Judgement.

The monastery also includes the Cloister of Silence, the chapter house, the dormitory, the enormous kitchen with a stream running through it, and the refectory. The Hall of Kings has statues of the Portuguese kings and tile panels. The church's west facade was remodelled in baroque style in the eighteenth century, with towers and statues. The sacristy was rebuilt in the Manueline style in the sixteenth century. The kitchen's huge chimney and tiled walls reflect the scale of monastic feasts. The dormitory, a vast vaulted hall, once held the monks' beds. The chapter house, where the monks met daily, has elegant Gothic arches. The monastery's Cloister of Silence has an upper floor added in the sixteenth century. Clay figures of saints made by monks in the seventeenth century are displayed in a chapel.

Alcobaça Monastery opening hours and the best time to go

The monastery is open daily, with shorter hours in winter. Summer is the busiest season, and day tours arrive in the middle of the day, so early morning is the best time to visit. Spring and autumn are pleasant, and winter is quiet. The international sweets fair held in the monastery each November attracts many visitors. The cherry season in late spring brings cherry festivals in the region. Allow about an hour and a half for the monastery, and taste the local convent sweets on the square before continuing to Nazaré or Batalha. The Museu do Vinho de Alcobaça, a wine museum a short walk from the monastery, displays traditional wine-making equipment.