Guarda

Guarda is a historic Portuguese city situated at an altitude of 1,056 meters, making it the highest urban space in the country. Founded in the medieval era for border defense, the city's name reflects its historical function as a military lookout against Castile. Its main structure, the Sé da Guarda (Cathedral), is an imposing granite building constructed in a severe Gothic style. The location retains significant remnants of its defensive past, including sections of its ancient walls. Today, Guarda functions as the main administrative point for the district and the primary gateway city leading into the high altitudes of the Serra da Estrela mountain range.