Lisbon's Castelo de São Jorge (St. George's Castle)

This Lisbon castle sits at the top of a steep hill in the city's Alfama district. Streetcars don't go directly to the castle, but the steep walk is worth it. The Romans, Visgoths, and Moors all built sections of the fortification over the years. Most of the castle is now in ruins, but you can walk along the ramparts for fabulous views of the city.

Looking past one of the castle's cannons, you can see the Convento do Carmo.

Lisbon's raven coat of arms.

Peacocks run wild all over the grounds...

...including blocking the door to the castle's cafe!

A Medieval Castle Outside Lisbon, Portugal: Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors)

High on a hill above the city of Sintra, outside of Lisbon, Portugal, are the remains of a medieval Moorish castle. Built by the Moors in the 8th or 9th century, Portuguese kings gained control after the Siege of Lisbon in  1147. The castle was damaged in a 1636 fire and suffered further damage during the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. It would have been left to complete ruins if it hadn't been for King Ferdinand II, a patron of the arts who romanticized the middle ages and decided to reconstruct the castle in the 1800s. It's now a National Monument of Portugal and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

A map showing the layout of the sprawling castle:

Exploring the castle:

Juxtapositions of Old and New

Below, a gargoyle, a cool old building, and a castle are juxtaposed with bits of the modern world.

 —Gigi