This embryo of a town, in the rough design of a Celtic castro, is more than two thousand years old. The settlement is protected by walls, inside the circular houses are laid out in small ‘blocks’, and there are also sheds for the cattle.

Citânia de Briteiros is one of the most interesting examples of the castro culture that developed in the Iberian Peninsula in the second century BC.

The castros, as these settlements are called, were situated at great heights so their inhabitants could keep watch for potential invaders.

Many of Portugal's present cities have their origins in these castros.

To complete your visit, see the exhibition of objects gathered at Citânia by archaeologist Francisco Martins Sarmento. The French government presented Sarmento with the Legion of Honour for his work in studying these artefacts. The museum, named after the great man, is in Guimarães.