{"id":59332,"date":"2026-10-14T10:20:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T10:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/realdreams.pt\/?post_type=to-visit&p=59332"},"modified":"2026-10-14T10:20:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T10:20:25","slug":"alter-do-chao","status":"publish","type":"to-visit","link":"https:\/\/realdreams.pt\/fr\/attractions-to-visit\/regions-of-portugal\/alentejo-region\/alter-do-chao\/","title":{"rendered":"Alter do Ch\u00e3o"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alter do Ch\u00e3o is a town with two famous names to its credit: a medieval castle rebuilt by King Pedro I, and the oldest stud farm in the world still working from its original site, where the grey Alter Real horses \u2014 the pride of Portuguese equestrian art \u2014 have been bred since the 18th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A castle and the horses of kings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The castle’s square keep rises some 44 metres over the little town, its Gothic portal and marble inscription marking the rebuilding ordered by Pedro I in 1357; the fortress later passed to the Constable Nuno \u00c1lvares Pereira and, by inheritance, to the House of Braganza. Four kilometres away, behind the walls of the Tapada do Arneiro estate, lies the Coudelaria de Alter \u2014 founded in 1748 in the spirit of the royal stud farms of Jo\u00e3o V, it is the oldest Portuguese stud farm and the only one in the world running without interruption on its founding site. Visits take in the courtyards, the chapel and the stables, with falconry displays on some days. The region is castle country: pair the visit with Marv\u00e3o<\/a> et Castelo de Vide<\/a>, both a short drive north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to see<\/h2>\n\n\n\n