Our new itinerary following the Duke of Wellington’s campaign in the Peninsular War is based in Lisbon and the Alentejo region in the south of Portugal, and combines the fascinating history of this conflict with some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes, delicious local cuisine and mediaeval architecture. In the company of historian Hugh Macdonald Buchanan, we start in Lisbon, following the story of the southerly parts of the war in 1808 when the British army liberated Portugal from French occupation following a brilliant short campaign by General Sir Arthur Wellesley (later to become the Duke of Wellington). We then continue to the eastern border to follow the epic Battle of Albuera in 1811 and the Siege of Badajoz in 1812, both of which proved to be exceptionally brutal, but cleared the way for the now Lord Wellington to push into Spain. Along the way, we will also see spectacular fortresses, the Royal Palace at Queluz, the impressive mediaeval cathedral at Évora (sacked by the French in 1808) and have time to explore the ancient citadel of Elvas where we stay two nights.