Each age has left its trace on Evora. It was the Celts who named it Ebora and the Romans gave it its most famous landmark, the Temple of Diana. Dating from the 2nd century, it is one of the Iberian Peninsula's best preserved Roman monuments, raised on a 3m(10ft)-high stone platform, with 14 of the original 18 granite Corinthian columns still standing. The whitewashed houses, arches, and twisting alleyways that characterize the town reflect the Moorish presence.

Around Evora are also numerous prehistoric monuments -- dozens of sizeable Neolithic menhirs, cromlechs, and dolmens (the one in Zambujeiro, now a national monument, is the largest in Europe, consisting of seven stones, each 6m/20ft high, forming a huge chamber). Evora is less than 2 hours away from Lisbon (there are express buses departing from the Sete Rios terminal), so it is a possible daytrip from the capital. However, it makes an ideal base for touring the Alentejo region and an overnight stay is highly recommended, as the town is especially evocative when floodlit at night.