Monsanto - A Village Of Rocks

<div style="text-align: justify;">Monsanto is a beautiful Portuguese village built on the side of a mountain. Local houses are squeezed between huge boulders and narrow streets are carved from the rock. This place is like a living museum. The village is located in Southeast of Serra da Estrela. With houses squeezed between gigantic boulders, it's a stunning sight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Its appearance hasn't changed in centuries, with tiny streets carved from the rock. Some of the granite houses have Manueline doorways and the ruins of a castle  that started as a Lusitanian fortified settlement, affords magnificent views stretching as far as Serra da Estrela. Next to the castle are the ruins of a Romanesque chapel, adding to the hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 1938 Monsanto was voted the most Portuguese village in Portugal in a national contest, and since then building restrictions have allowed it to remain a living museum. It is not easy to reach Monsanto by public transportation, but its atmosphere and immense panorama is worth a drive from the towns nearby or Serra da Estrela.</div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sO4ZlWKUb5AR8D6EX62IY-tZUlaDsdZe_AJFyb58Zx1jZJ5tQJ8omHLXA-WUm25AW7kuiG_NUmGL-dNCcKwjyJG2_LJfkTdtajzU7u7igYNL2MnIxBYD3EkQmxsS0GZGPg8G3_4fSz_H/s1600/Serra+da+Estrela+Monsanto+Village+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sO4ZlWKUb5AR8D6EX62IY-tZUlaDsdZe_AJFyb58Zx1jZJ5tQJ8omHLXA-WUm25AW7kuiG_NUmGL-dNCcKwjyJG2_LJfkTdtajzU7u7igYNL2MnIxBYD3EkQmxsS0GZGPg8G3_4fSz_H/s1600/Serra+da+Estrela+Monsanto+Village+001.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHgn84MYZQLtVYQxGC0bfs7zhXpgxME4hHqlCHrkoJOiIw0nzH0HrqcuUJcnVH2YqpJAySyc652BLssSYW5YtKvJUZrQZ-yO9zzWgFrHufjW7ZjOqjEALDC8Jh054h-NTj2BiDPezXqqM/s1600/Serra+da+Estrela+Monsanto+Village+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHgn84MYZQLtVYQxGC0bfs7zhXpgxME4hHqlCHrkoJOiIw0nzH0HrqcuUJcnVH2YqpJAySyc652BLssSYW5YtKvJUZrQZ-yO9zzWgFrHufjW7ZjOqjEALDC8Jh054h-NTj2BiDPezXqqM/s1600/Serra+da+Estrela+Monsanto+Village+007.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br><a href="http://aibob.blogspot.com/2011/10/monsanto-village-of-rocks.html#more">Click to read more »</a>

Monsanto - A Village Of Rocks

Monsanto is a beautiful Portuguese village built on the side of a mountain. Local houses are squeezed between huge boulders and narrow stree...

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