Serpa

Situated on a small hill on the left bank of the Guadiana river (the big river in the south of Portugal), Serpa is a town of the Alentejo South region.
Located in a region inhabited by men since prehistorically times, Serpa has several archaeological vestiges and a big Roman influence since the times of the roman occupation of the Peninsula, specially in what concerns to agriculture. Also the Muslim influence is quite strong, and during the Muslim occupation period Serpa was named Scheberim. During the Middle Age Serpa was always an important defensive strategic point.
The landscape is wonderful, both inside the city walls and on its lovely city centre, but also through the surrounding plain fields with small elevations.
In Serpa there are several interesting monuments, such as the Gothic Matriz Church, or the São Salvador (17th century), the Nossa Senhora da Saúde, the São Francisco and the Misericórdia Churches, the São Francisco and São Paulo Convents, the majestic Condes de Ficalho Palace (from the end of the 16th century) or even the Relógio Tower 8one of the oldest in the country), among many other monuments worth to be seen,
The Goat Cheese from Serpa is very famous and appreciated all over the country. In fact, the gastronomy of this region is quite tasty, mainly based on its quality Bread. Also the Red Wine from this Alentejo region is widely known.