Monday, 16 November 2009 09:51
The Alentejo city of Estremoz has just opened the second plant walk in Europe. Made of acrylic, the eight planets are reproduced to scale and spread around the Alentejo countryside. The sun is a metal object located in front of the Science Center and the dwarf planet Pluto is near the Castle of Évoramonte, about seven and a half miles away. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are all in the city of Estremoz. Jupiter is just outside the historic walls, and the rest are spread across the hinterlands. Keeping with the scale of planets, Jupiter is the size of a soccer ball and it is near the local soccer field while Pluto is the size of a pea. The project was a joint effort of the University of Évora (LIRIO), and the local Living Science Center. And in terms of hiking, the planet walk is a great way to appreciate the scale of our solar system, and see the Alentejo countryside. Click here.
Media Kit
Portugal National Tourist Office