THE HISTORIC CENTRE OF ARRUDA DOS VINHOS

The town which incorporates “wine” into its name. The town that hides Moorish secrets for you to discover…. Does its name come from the German name “Rut(h)a” or from the bitter plant, rue (ar-ruta). In either case, your visit will tend to contradict the notion, because the air is very sweet here! And the “dos Vinhos” part can be easily understood once you’ve tasted the wines! And there have been many people before you who have drunk the delicious wine – nectar produced from grapes picked from the vines on the sunny slopes… honeyed wine bought in Lisbon markets… poetic wine, which Gil Vicente immortalised in Pranto de Maria Prada.

In Arruda dos Vinhos, you inhale the countryside which stretches towards the horizon and as far as the eye can see. You may not find the scent of the arruda bushes you come across in the gardens to your liking, but you will certainly like the Morgado Cultural Centre, an entry point for the Lines of Torres Vedras, where you will find the Visitors’ Centre and the Tourist Office.