Beja is the main city of the Baixo Alentejo, the vast flat plain of southern Portugal between the Serra de São Mamede and the Algarve hills. It sits on a low hill in the middle of wheat fields and cork oak groves, and its compact old town has Roman walls, a Moorish castle, and a medieval convent that is now one of the better regional museums in Portugal.
The Museu Regional de Beja, housed in the 15th-century Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, holds an exceptional collection of Roman mosaics from the surrounding region, medieval tiles, and a gilded Baroque chapel. The castle tower (Torre de Menagem) is climbable and gives panoramic views across the plateau. The city itself rests on the site of Roman Pax Julia, and the cathedral incorporates Visigothic stonework from the 6th century.
Beja is useful as a base for exploring the Alentejo interior — the whitewashed villages of Cuba, Alvito, and Viana do Alentejo are an easy drive, as are the Roman ruins at São Cucufate. The city is connected by train to Lisboa (about two hours) and Faro on the Algarve coast.