City Go

The ruins of the Roman city of Pollentia are just outside the medieval walls of Alcudia. This Roman city was founded in 123 BC after Consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus conquered the island and was the capital of Mallorca and all the Balearic islands during Roman domination. The city comprises a Forum, a Roman theatre, a Capitolium temple, two minor temples, a residential area and a commercial area.  La Portella, the residential area, displays the remains of three houses: the House of the Two Treasures, the House of the Bronze Head- given this name because of a head of a statue found there, now on display in the museum- and the Northwest House, partially amputated by the construction of a defensive wall. The Roman theatre is perhaps the most impressive remain. It dates back to the 1st century and is thought to have had a 2000 person capacity. However, it is the smallest of twenty theatres found in Spain. It was abandoned after the invasion of the Vandals and used as a necropolis.

This chapel, located in Largo do Martim Moniz, was built in 1505 by the initiative of Lisbon's Gunners and was dedicated to St. Sebastion, patron saint against plagues, as one was spreading through the city at the time. In 1662 it received the image of Our Lady of Good Health and became known by this name. There were some reconstruction works after the 1755 earthquake but the portal is prior to the earthquake, from the beginning of the 18th century. In 1861 the chapel was elevated to Royal Chapel by king D. Pedro V. Opening Hours : 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Entrance free Back to Lisbon

Loule's Carnival dates back to 1906, in an effort to have a more civilised, peaceful celebration. It is now the oldest event of its kind in Portugal, with parades lasting for 3 days (the same every day).  Opening hours: 3 pm to 6 pm Entrance fee: 2€

The Fountain of the Idol (Fonte do Ídolo) is a small shrine dating from the Roman period, which probably begun being built in the first century. It is associated with the water cult, dedicated to the Galician and Lusitanian gods Tongoe Nabiagus and Nabia. It was first identified by Georg Brau in his map of Braga, in 1594. The monument was first studied in the late 19th century, early 20th century by the well-known Portuguese archaeologist José Leite Vasconcelos, contributing to its classification as a national monument. On January 2006 the interpretive pavilion was inaugurated, protecting the monument from further deterioration. Opening hours : Tue. to Fri., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat., Sun. and Holidays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance fee : €1.70 (€3.10 together with the Roman baths) Back to Braga

Amsterdam Museum is located in the Middle Age's Saint Lucien's Monastery, which was later used as the city's orphanage. The permanent exhibition Amsterdam DNA offers an overview of the history of Amsterdam with interactive images, sounds, movement and specially selected objects. Opening hours : 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance fee : €12.50 Copper Monday, when lepers were allowed into town. The oldest map of Amsterdam, painted by Cornelius Anthonisz in 1538. The miracle casket: this casket is traditionally thought to have contained the miracle wafer. Before being a trade city, Amsterdam was a pilgrimage city due to the miracle wafer: a very sick man was given his last rites but he threw up and his vomit was thrown into the fire. However, the wafer remained unscathed. The wafer was twice brought to Oude Kerk and twice it reappeared in the house from which it was brought. A chapel was built on the site but it was twice engulfed by flames in a town fire. The waf

Alfabia was originally the residence of the viceroy of Mallorca. After conquering Mallorca Jaume I donated this property to his uncle who later sold it to Benihabet, a local Moorish nobleman who converted to Christianity after the invasion of Mallorca. It was probably Benihabet who designed the gardens, which display strong Moorish influence. The house was originally built in the 15th century, being expanded and restored in the following centuries. Opening hours : Apr to Oct, daily from 9.30 to 18.30; Mar, Nov Mon to Fri 9.30 to 17.30 and Sat 9.30 to 13; closed Dec to Feb. Ticket (standard): €6.50 How to go :  Bus 211 from Palma de Mallorca  Back to Tramuntana

A dam was built on the site in the 13th century, forming the first connection between the settlements on each side of the Amstel river (hence the name Amsterdam). The dam was built up, eventually becoming large enough for a town square. The area became the centre of commercial activity and government. The Damrak, the former mouth of the Amstel river was partially filled in in the 19th century and Dam square became surrounded by land on all sides. On May 7th, 1945, two days after German capitulation, a group of German soldiers started shooting into the crowds waiting for Canadian troops to arrive, killing over 30 people and injuring over 100. After WWII the National Monument was erected, in remembrance of those who died during the war.

The Banys Arabs are the only remaining Moorish built building in Palma de Mallorca. The baths date back to the 10th century and were built by recycling capitals from previous periods (Byzantine and Roman). They were probably part of a nobleman's house. Opening hours : 9.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (7 p.m. Dec to Mar) Entrance fee (standard): €2.50 Back to Palma

The Roman Thermae of Maximinus is the archaeological ruins of a building, housing the baths, and a theatre, although excavation works are still going on. The thermae complex and the theatre were built in the second century. However, due to ongoing redesign of Bracara Augusta as the capital of Gallaecia by the 4th century, both the baths and the theatre had been deactivated and the stones used to build the city walls. By the 5th century, the buildings had been abandoned. Excavations started in 1977 and in 1994 the city of Braga bought the terrains to create an archaeological reserve. Five years later, during excavations of the site, the remains of the theatre were discovered. Opening hours : Tue. to Fri. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat., Sun. and Holidays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance fee : €1.85 (€3.10 together with the Fountain of the Idol ). Back to Braga