Mercado do Queijo e dos Romanos, Rabaçal

The Programme

In 2026 the Saturday brought a talk on Queijo Rabaçal DOP and a showcooking with chef Flávio Silva at the Roman villa museum. Sunday was market day: a cheese walk from the Rabaçal church at 8:45, the official opening at 9:00, children's workshops on bread, gardens, mill games and Roman mosaics, and more showcookings. At 11:30 and 16:00 reenactors brought Roman Rabaçal back to life, at noon the world's largest Rabaçal cheese was shared out and tasted, and the afternoon had a folk dance festival with four groups and an evening concert.

The market is organised by the parish union of Santa Eufémia, São Miguel and Rabaçal with Penela council.

The Cheese

Rabaçal DOP is a small cheese of sheep's and goat's milk from the Sicó hills, where the animals graze wild herbs that give it its taste.

Dairies You Can Visit

A Queijeira do Rabaçal, on Rua da Queijeira, sells its DOP, fresh and cured cheeses and requeijão every day from 8:00 to 19:00, offers tastings by booking and serves sandwiches, salads and DOP cheese boards; its mixed-milk cheese was named the best in Portugal in 2022. Call 919 848 533. Serras do Rabaçal, also in the village, sells from its dairy Monday to Friday 8:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 8:00 to 13:00 (918 752 990). Queijaria da Licínia in Pombalinho, Soure, works only with sheep's and goat's milk and sells from 9:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00.

Getting There

Rabaçal is a few kilometres west of Penela, south of Coimbra. Penela castle and the Roman villa museum are both listed on the Rota dos Queijos do Centro de Portugal.