Nab River (Nabão River) / Island In Nabão River

The Nabão is a small, quiet river, but it is the reason Tomar looks the way it does. It rises in the limestone hills south-east of Leiria, runs for about eighty kilometres and flows through the middle of the town before joining the Zêzere, and along its banks stand the mills, bridges, parks and gardens that give the town its character. The Romans knew the river as the Nabão, and the Templars and the Order of Christ, who made Tomar their headquarters, relied on its water to power mills and irrigate fields.

The river's main attraction for visitors is the Parque do Mouchão, a long island park in the middle of the stream, right in the town centre. A footbridge connects it with the town on each side, and it forms a shady, green space of lawns and mature trees with benches, a playground and a cafe, a popular place for families on weekends. The island has long been used for industry, and its most distinctive feature is a large wooden waterwheel, the Roda do Mouchão, that turns slowly in the current. The wheel recalls the age when the Nabão powered mills for grain, textiles and paper, and the waterwheel, rebuilt as a monument, is a symbol of the town. On warm evenings, the island is filled with locals strolling, and in the summer, concerts and fairs are held there.

Along the river, a series of bridges tie the town's two halves together. The Ponte Velha, the old bridge, an arched stone structure built in the 15th century and rebuilt after floods, is the most picturesque, and gives views along the stream, the willows on the banks and the old houses of the riverfront. A promenade runs along the water on both sides, with gardens and benches, and the walk from one bridge to the next takes only a few minutes. On the left bank, the old town rises toward the Convent of Christ on the hill, and the combination of river, bridge and monument is the classic view of Tomar.

The Nabão also plays a part in the town's biggest celebration. The Festa dos Tabuleiros, held every few years in July, fills the streets with a procession of young women carrying towering crowns of bread and flowers on their heads, and parades cross the old bridge and pass along the river. A museum of matchboxes, the Museu dos Fósforos, one of the largest collections of its kind in the world, stands near the river and is a curious diversion.

The river walk is free and open all day, and takes about an hour for a leisurely loop of the island and both banks. The best times are morning and early evening. It suits families, walkers and anyone who enjoys small-town riversides.