TERRAS DE BOURO
41° 43′ N; 8° 18′ W
History
The Germanic tribe of the Buri accompanied the Suebi in their invasion of the Iberian Peninsula and establishment in Gallaecia (modern northern Portugal). The Buri settled in the region between the rivers Cávado and Homem, in the area known thereafter as Terras de Boiro or Terras de Bouro (Lands of the Buri).
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 14 civil parishes (freguesias):
Balança; Campo do Gerês, Carvalheira; Chamoim e Vilar; Chorense e Monte; Cibões e Brufe; Covide; Gondoriz; Moimenta; Ribeira; Rio Caldo; Souto; Valdosende; Vilar da Veiga.
Via Romana (Geira/ Via Nova)
The Geira, also known as Via Nova, was built by the Romans in order to connect Braga (Bracara Agusta) to Astorga (Asturica Augusta). In Terras de Bouro, it runs through the municipality for a length of 30 km, having the highest concentration of epigraphed milestones in the northwest of the peninsula.
The "Via Nova XVIII" which, in the municipality of Terras de Bouro, departs from the place of Sta. Cruz (Souto), at Mile XIV, and ends at the border of Portela do Homem (Campo do Gerês), Mile XXXIV, constitutes an exceptional monument, due to its scientific, cultural, pedagogical and tourist heritage. The possibility of walking the Roman road over 30 kilometres, almost without interruptions, with extensive sections of pavement, the unusual number of milestones, the ruins of bridges over mighty rivers, the quarries from which the milestones were extracted, the visibility of the road to the surroundings, the landscape context in which it is inserted, form a remarkable resource.
The Via Romana (Geira/Via Nova) "is a true open-air museum, that is, a historic space without walls, through which travelers resume a route used over millennia, since the 1st century after Christ" ( Sande Lemos, Archaeologist).
Cruise from Sao Joao do Campo
Of the most important milestones existing in the municipality, mention should be made of the Cruzeiro do Campo do Gerês Milestone, which is characterized by religious architecture and is classified as a National Monument. It stands at a crossroads in the locality and results from the use of a Roman milestone from the 3rd century. This cross was erected during the rule of Emperor Decius (249-251) and marks the XXVII mile of the Via Nova.
Village of Vilarinho da Furna
The village of Vilarinho da Furna was a place in the parish of Campo do Gerês, located in the northeast of the municipality of Terras de Bouro. It was submerged, at the beginning of the 1971s, and with it a great ethnographic richness, associated with agro-silvo-pastoral activities, experiences and community spirit of its people, houses and other stories of the past.
As a way of safeguarding all the village's heritage, the Ethnographic Museum of Vilarinho da Furna was built, which recreates the place that was submerged by the waters of the reservoir, on the Homem River, when the dam was inaugurated, on May 21, 1972. Open since 1989, it is a living example of what Vilarinho da Furna was and the Museum itself was built with original objects and houses removed from the village.
Medieval Bridge of Eixões
The Medieval Bridge of Eixões, located south of Veiga de S. João de Campo, over the Ribeira de Rodas, has two round arches formed by narrow voussoirs, built on the solid foundations of well-equipped walls founded on the rocky bed and on the margins. Despite the inscription of the year 1745 on one of the arches, it is believed that there are indications to date its existence back to earlier times.
Medieval Bridge of Carvalheira
The Medieval Bridge of Carvalheira, of monumental aspect, oriented in the Southeast-Northwest direction, allows the passage between the parish of Carvalheira and Brufe (Terras de Bouro). It is composed of a round arch supported by a rocky outcrop, which features short and coarse voussoirs of granite stonework.
Mills
For Molinology lovers, the Moinho-de-Vento de Gilbarbedo, in the parish of Cibões, is a must-visit. It is located in a valley surrounded by agricultural fields, providing visitors with contact with a traditional structure of heritage and ethnographic value, allowing them to observe, live, its operation and the entire grinding mechanism. In addition to the physical characteristics, the Moinho-de-vento presents an environment of extraordinary natural beauty and landscape.
An obligatory stop is the 29 Watermills of Rodízio de Stª Isabel do Monte, restored in their original design, spread over the villages of Campos Abades, Seara, Rebordochão, Ventozelo and Alecrimes, on the slopes and streams of Ponte and Bumpy. In addition to being used for grinding, these mills represent small museums, and due to their ethnological and historical potential, they serve as sites of interest in educational activities and cultural and tourist entertainment.
Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG)
The PNPG is the only national protected area that has the category of National Park, the highest level of classification of protected areas. It comprises sites of distinct natural wealth whose biodiversity of their endemic habitats is important to preserve. Mata de Albergaria corresponds to one of these sites and is distinguished by the Council of Europe as one of the Biogenetic Reserves of the European Continent, with the PNPG Land Management Plan classified as a Partial Protection Zone of the Natural Environment Area - the "heart" of the Park.
"Gate" of the Peneda-Gerês National Park
The "Door" of the Peneda-Gerês National Park operates in the building of the Ethnographic Museum of Vilarinho da Furna, constituting a place where visitors access to obtain general information about the municipality and the National Park.
Birch Environmental Education Center
The Vidoeiro Environmental Education Center is located in the village of Gerês, an environmental education structure in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, located in Vidoeiro, in Caldas do Gerês. It has a set of spaces, namely reception, exhibition hall, auditorium, thematic workshops, laboratories and Garden of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, where it provides information to visitors and tourists, school groups and other organized groups.
Viewpoints
The mountains, Gerês and Amarela, the waterfalls and lakes, the viewpoints, the fauna, flora and geology interconnected in a spontaneous and natural authenticity, make this region a strong patrimonial heritage in the environmental and tourist vector.
The viewpoints are open windows to appreciate the vast landscape of this natural heritage, with emphasis on the Junceda, Boneca, Fraga Negra, Penedo da Freira, Pedra Bela, Novo and Velho viewpoints and the Bom Jesus das Mós viewpoint which, in its most of them can be visited by walkers and visitors who follow the "Miradouros" Trail and the "Silha dos Ursos" Trail.
Pedestrian Trail Network "In the path of Miguel Torga"
One of the ways to admire the natural landscapes of the municipality of Terras de Bouro is to practice a pedestrian culture.
The network of Pedestrian Trails "Na senda de Miguel Torga" offers a set of signposted routes that provide greater independence and safety for practitioners. In this outdoor activity there are two types of route: small route (PR) and large route (GR), each one marked with colors that indicate the type of route, which serve as a guide for hikers.
The routes involve different themes and characteristics, in terms of distance, degree of difficulty and location, with the intention of being attractive and accessible to all practitioners.
PR 1 - Chalcedony City Trail
PR 2 - Castle Trail
PR 3 - Corrals Trail
PR 4 - Trail of the Mills and Traditional Irrigation
PR 5 - Águia do Sarilhão Trail
PR 6 - Viewpoint Trail
PR 7 - S. Bento trail
PR 8 - Couto do Souto trail
PR 9 - Geira Trail
PR 10 - Trail of Preguiça
PR 11 - Silha dos Ursos trail
PR 12 - St.ª Isabel do Monte Mill Trail
GR – Trilho das Casarotas
Arado waterfall
The Cascata do Arado arises from the mountain water courses, derived from the rivers of Camalhão and Teixeira, which flow into the Arado river. On this route, which overcomes a strong difference in level, it generates a succession of waterfalls and ponds, more or less deep, with constant clear water.
Mountains (Serras)
Serra do Gerês is included in the Peneda-Gerês National Park and represents the second highest national elevation, where the minimum elevation reaches 50m and the maximum goes up to 1548 meters. This mountain borders Galicia/Spain and continues in this territory with the Natural Park of Baixa Limia - Serra do Xurés. In addition to the geological and geomorphological potential, the fauna and flora dominate, in a privileged way, the vast area of the Serra do Gerês. If the forest area is dominated by oaks, holly, holm oak, birch, pine, and strawberry trees and by native species, including yew, in the herbaceous, without forgetting Gerês lily and Gerês fern, stands a set of indigenous aromatic and medicinal plants, in particular St. John's wort, blueberry and betony.
Serra Amarela, located between Serra do Soajo (Arcos de Valdevez) and Serra do Gerês (Terras de Bouro), reaches an altitude of 1362 meters and represents the ninth-highest elevation in mainland Portugal. In this mountainous system that is part of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, the undergrowth predominates, consisting of heather, gorse, and bushes that in spring are covered in yellow. This color gives it its name. The mariolas that guide hikers, the small houses in Chã do Salgueiral, the fojo-do-lobo in Poulo do Vidoal, Chã do Muro, and Chã da Fonte/Casa da Neve, give this mountain a distinct beauty.
Reservoirs (Albufeiras)
The Caniçada and Vilarinho das Furnas reservoirs resulted from the construction of dams in different decades, 1955 and 1972 respectively, constituting unique environments in a landscape of exuberant natural beauty. Due to the natural and scenic potential that surrounds them, these reservoirs ensure privileged conditions of tourist attraction, mainly the Caniçada reservoir with the practice of water sports.
Nautical
Albufeira da Caniçada has attractive services and conditions for the practice of a range of nautical activities. The vessel "Rio Caldo" is a pleasure boat that has 46 seats, and sails all year round through the 689ha of water surface, in a tour of 1:30 hours, in a tourist and educational aspect.
The Nautical Center and the Marina of Rio Caldo are highly sought-after tourist facilities, both for their scenic beauty and for the excellent conditions for sporting activities they offer. The Marina of Rio Caldo provides sports activities for visitors and tourists, promoted in the Caniçada reservoir by local Tourist Entertainment companies, adding added value to the tourist offer. Tourist entertainment companies, in turn, provide programs, equipment, and services for the practice of water sports operating all year round.
Spa
Termas do Gerês
Live and breathe health, taking advantage of the excellent therapeutic qualities of the waters of the Thermal Spa of Gerês, a secular tradition in the area that dates back to Roman times. Built in the 18th century, the first thermal establishment in Gerês now gives way to a recently refurbished building, equipped with modern thermal equipment and techniques, offering hydrotherapy, physiotherapy and electrotherapy treatments. Some spaces and leisure sports facilities complement this service, in a place of choice for peaceful and revitalizing days.
Animation Center of Caldas do Gerês
The Animation Center of Caldas do Gerês is located in the center of the village of Gerês, offering its inhabitants and all visitors and tourists spaces, equipment and different types of leisure and well-being. This Center is equipped with leisure and wellness services, namely heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, Turkish bath, Scottish shower, sauna, hydromassage. It also includes an auditorium with 150 seats, audiovisual projection for holding conferences, seminars/congresses, theatre, cinema and concerts.
Religion
Sanctuary of Sao Bento da Porta Aberta
Thousands of pilgrims and devotees visit, throughout the year, the enclosure of the Sanctuary of São Bento da Porta Aberta, located at the entrance of the Gerês mountain range, to fulfill the most varied promises and pray for new blessings to the one who is considered the greatest holy miracle worker in the north of the country. The Sanctuary of São Bento da Porta Aberta became popular even in the most remote lands. The walks and pilgrimages of pilgrims on Feast days, March 21st, July 11th and, mainly, August 12th and 13th make the religious and the profane intersect in a rich and natural symbiosis.
Monument to Bom Jesus das Mós
Another reference in terms of religious tourism is the monument of Bom Jesus das Mós, strategically located at the top of Carvalheira, or Monte das Mós from where an open rural landscape can be seen, reaching the entire parish and surrounding villages. The construction of this monument, which invokes the Sacred Heart of Jesus, began in 1902 and was completed in 1912. The Apostolic Blessing of Pope Pius X, given on July 13, 1913, to the thousands of pilgrims from Bom Jesus das Mós , marked a relevant moment in the life of faith of the people, choosing this place as a sovereign monument in the region. Currently, every year this monument welcomes faithful from all over the municipality, in a fruitful meeting of social and sacred conviviality.
Our Lady of Deliverance Chapel
Another point of religious interest is the Chapel N.ª Sr.ª do Livramento, located in the parish of Vilar, built between the 17th and 18th centuries. It is a small sanctuary where a large pilgrimage takes place on the first Sunday of July. One of the curiosities is the existence of a mortar box – a small piece of artillery – of dry gunpowder, which serves to announce the festivities to neighboring peoples.
Bernardos House
Casa dos Bernardos presents itself as a construction in traditional masonry, strategically built, protected from the north, facing south and dominating the entire productive meadow of Campos Abades. It is located in the parish of Santa Isabel do Monte, 10 kilometers from the village of Terras de Bouro.
The house, over time, underwent expansion and adaptation works, serving as a place of rest and rest for the monks (breuitas). So, in addition to a barn and a canastro (granary), they equipped it with a small chapel that they devoted to S. João Baptista.
Today recovered and adapted to tourism in rural areas, with its chapel decorated in a 'naïf' style, the stream that crosses the yard, the largest granary in the municipality with about 16 meters in length, 6 pylons (gables) and with capacity for store 18 carts of bread (cobs of corn), it is the ideal place for a few days of rest or for work sessions that require isolation. Staying at Casa dos Bernardos is getting to know a place of choice where nature blends perfectly with the traditional way of life of Minho people.
Typical villages
The typical village of Cutelo is part of the Aldeias de Portugal. Located in the parish of Cibões, Cutelo offers the opportunity to discover a different type of tourism, inviting you to spend a completely independent stay in the middle of nature. It is an opportunity to enjoy not only typical accommodation, but also natural landscapes and a serene environment, combining contact between Man, nature, culture and the daily life of its people.
Other typical reference villages are the village of Brufe, St.ª Isabel do Monte, Covide and Ermida.
Within the vast rural heritage, rural architecture stands out, both in number and in importance, from water and wind mills, mills, rural houses, granaries, threshing floors, agricultural subdivisions, to irrigation systems and irrigation systems typical of the North. from Portugal. The water mills with a rotating system, built close to watercourses, are often used seasonally. In the summer, with the decrease in flows, the force of the water is not enough to move the castors, but the structures remain in their places, giving way to tourist sites (Moinhos Trail), whose routes are marked and signed.
