JEWISH HERITAGE IN SPAIN & PORTUGAL

In August 1492, by order of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, all Spanish Jews ( Sephardi ) who had not converted to Catholicism were expelled from their homeland of 1,500 years. Until then, Jews regarded their life in medieval Spain as a Golden Age, in which they worked and lived harmoniously with Muslims and Christians.  The same happened 5 years later, when King Manuel I signed the decree of expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Portugal.

In an effort to recover the cultural heritage of Jewish Spain, the cities of Barcelona, Girona, Besalu, Cordoba, Caceres, Jaen, Hervas, Ribadavia, Segovia, Toledo, Tudela and more have created a network "The Sephardic Way", which aims to locate and revive the lost Spanish Jewish heritage. Plans call for restoring the synagogues and Jewish Quarters in these cities, and creating cultural centres and museums devoted to a deeper understanding of the Sephardic legacy.

A similar network was established in Portugal in 2011 and features 37 different locations with important Jewish heritage links including Evora, Belmonte, Braganca, Cascais, Guarda,Lisbon, Porto, Trancoso and Tomar.

If you are interested in a custom Jewish heritage tour in Spain and Portugal then Totally Spain can help you plan it.  We work with a great team of expert guides who have a deep knowledge of Jewish history in Spain and Portugal.  

You only need to let your Totally Spain agent know, and we can create the perfect Jewish heritage tour for you in either Spain or Portugal, or a combination of the two countries.  Your trip may be focused entirely on Jewish heritage or be included as just one element of  your overall custom private tour .

OUR SUGGESTED JEWISH HERITAGE TOURS IN SPAIN

Jewish Heritage in Spain (14 nights)

Highlights of Jewish Spain (11 nights)

PAST CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

"I'd like to reinforce Judah's comments.  It was an absolutely memorable trip. I want to comment specifically on the exceptional quality of the guides in each city.  They were knowledgeable, instructive, respectful and good fun. I was also impressed by the material that you included in the packages for each area. Thank you for the care you took in organizing a very special experience for us." Dr. Judah & Dr. Susan Denburg, CANADA

 

 

TOTALLY SPAIN'S BLOG ARTICLES RELATED TO JEWISH HERITAGE IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

Jewish Heritage Sights in Spain

Totally Spain’s Guide to Significant Jewish Heritage Sights in Portugal

 

Note about Kosher cuisine: Depending on the itinerary chosen and places visited, certified kosher cuisine may or may not be available.  In general certified kosher cuisine is not widely available in Spain or Portugal outside of the largest cities.  Kosher style as well as vegetarian and vegan would be more readily available.  Our article Eating Out as a Vegetarian & Vegan may be of interest.