La Lippe: 18th-Century Star Fort of Portugal

Perched above Elvas on Portugal’s frontier, La Lippe is a masterpiece of 18th-century military design—star-shaped bastions, layered defenses, and vast views toward Spain. We walked the walls, traced the geometry, and folded the fort into a day of UNESCO-listed Elvas: aqueducts, taverns, and sunset over the Alentejo.

Portugal’s Alentejo Region

The Alentejo, a region in southern Portugal, encompasses a vast area of approximately one-third of the country, extending south from the Rio Tejo to the northern mountain ranges of the…