Guarda, Portugal

Guarda is a city in Guarda Municipality, Portugal. The city has a population of 32,111 and was founded in 1199 by the second king of Portugal, Sancho I.

Guarda is the largest city in its district, capital of the Guarda District and the Beira Interior Norte Subregion within the Centro region. It is served by major highways and an international train station. The region is bordered by Pinhel to the north, to the east by Almeida, to the southeast by Sabugal, to the south by Belmonte and Covilhã, to the west by Manteigas and Gouveia, and to the northwest by Celorico da Beira.

Guarda is the highest city in Portugal (altitude 1,056 m), located to the northeast of Serra da Estrela (the largest mountain in mainland Portugal). The main attraction in Guarda is the cathedral, known as the Sé da Guarda. Guarda is a diocese of the same name.

Guarda (Gare) is served by the railway line the Linha da Beira Alta (international to Vilar Formoso/Fuentes de Onoro & domestic) {Linha da Beira Alta serves the following main cities and towns Vilar Formoso, Guarda, Pinhel, Vila Franca das Naves/Trancoso, Celorico da Beira, Gouveia, Nelas, Carregal do Sal, Santa Comba Dão, Mortagua, Luso/Buçaco and Pampilhosa. The station at Guarda has (2013) eighteen daily arrivals and departures of passenger trains and there is a small freight terminal.

The section of the Linha da Beira Baixa, which ran from Guarda through Belmonte/Sabugal, Covilhã, Fundão, Castelo Branco and Abrantes to Entroncamento} (domestic) was closed in 2010 between Guarda and Covilhã. The track is now partially lifted, thus making it unusable.

The main motorways are the A25 {Aveiro, Viséu, Guarda, Vilar Formoso} and the A23 (Guarda, Covilhã, Fundão, Castelo Branco, Abrentes, Torres Novas).

Numerous motor coach (long distance bus) services use these motorways to link Guarda with Porto, Lisbon and other Portuguese cities.