The small town of Castelo de Vide is one of the gems of the Alto Alentejo region. Here a jumble of red roofed, whitewashed houses clings to the side of the lush slopes of the foothills of the Serra de São Mamede. The old quarter has been described as one of the best preserved medieval towns in Portugal and it sometimes feels like life may not have changed much here since those days. What the town might lack in grand monuments it more than makes up for in ambience and charm. Castelo de Vide is a place to spend a day exploring the flower-lined cobbled lanes which wind up to the castle and relaxing in peaceful squares.