PORTUGAL

Portugal is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe, being bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north and by Spain in the east.
Since Portugal is a member of the EU, citizens from other EU-countries do not need a visa to enter.

If you are not a citizen of the European Union, you may need to apply for Schengen visa to enter Portugal. Please, find more information about Portugal Schengen visa here.

The national currency of Portugal is Euro. Maestro and Visa cards are accepted in most shops, hotels and restaurants.

Due to its proximity to the Atlantic, Portuguese cuisine consists of many dishes that include fish and various seafood. Fish dishes are either fried, boiled, steamed or baked on charcoal. In terms of fish consumption per year, Portugal is one of the top places in all of Europe!
That is why we recommend trying Bacalhau - dried cod. This is considered the most important product in the country and is therefore treated like a delicacy.
Another famous dish is the "Carne de Porco à Alentejana", a combination of roasted pork and shellfish. Don't forget to try the aromatic national soup "Caldo verde", which is made from kale, potatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil and spicy Chorizo sausage (Chouriço).

In addition to the official Portuguese language, many people in the country speak Spanish, and to a lesser extent English. In addition, the "Miranda language" has also had the status of the official language in Portugal since 1999. However, it is only spoken by a few people in the north-east of the country.

Mentality:
Portuguese have a passionate temperament and are open and emotional in communication. But there is one distinctive feature of the natives of Portugal - sentimentality.
In their culture there is the concept of "sodad", which is also called "Portuguese longing". This is a special state of mind in which slight sadness, nostalgia, tenderness and melancholy intertwine. It is most accurately reflected in the traditional genre "fado" - songs played along with a small Portuguese twelve-string guitar. These songs usually tell about the obstacles of fate, the emotional turmoil and sadness of love and are often associated with the sea.

Religion:
The main religion of Portugal is Catholicism (approx. 94%). There are many temples and monasteries that were built in the Middle Ages that are historical, architectural and cultural monuments and are opened to the public. The only exceptions are church services on public holidays and Sunday mornings, when the churches can be closed for tourists.