All of the Vale do Alva is a place of beauty. The unpolluted waters, clear and fresh of the Alvariver, awake us the unconfoundable pleasure of being able to fish or swim, having the mountains wacthing over us.

Free your spirit and travel through th route that we propose, without losing sight of the enchanted valley.

Go down to Penalva de Alva, a parish situated on the right hand margin of the Alva river. In the surroundings of the population, there are found various remains of roman presence( "tegulae", brick and other ceramic fragments). It seems that King Afonso Henriques admitted it’s registration while he was still Prince, which means before the year 1140 A. D. King Manuel gave it a new registration on April 14, 1516.

In Penalva there exists a steel water-wheel, that will remind you of the various forms of survival. The same happens with Santo António do Alva, whose wheel of great dimensions, probably centenary, was reconstructed. In Caldas de S. Paulo, there was recently constructed a wooden water-wheel.

What you can’t leave off the visit, is the Ponte de Pedra above the Alva river. Consructed in the XIX century, it has never suffered alterations since it’s construction, and in the past, it was the meeting place for the sweethearts of the region.

Take the opportunity to hop over to S.Gião, the Cathedral of the Beiras. It’s antiquity is also confirmed by the lines of the roman road that is still visible at the Nogueiral, and that seems to remount to the times in which S.Gião was an important commercial roman post.

A compulsory visit in S.Gião is the mother church, whose patron saint is São Julião. Constructed in 1795, in King João V style, it is a notable temple because of it’s dimensions and paintings and wood carvings that it posseses( it has a on the ceiling 102 framings atributed to the Pascoal Parente), allied to the valuable liturgical ornaments. For all of this a bishop of Coimbra, very significantly called it " The Cathedral of the Beiras", name by which it is known.

For the more adventurous, we recommend a visit to the cave or natural shelter of the Penedo da Moura. Of difficult access, it is located on an enormous granite rock, to the south of S.Gião. It has a very small interior room, that served as a shelter for shepherds and hunters. In the same zone, there is also another cave, designated as the Curral dos Romanos. It is located on a granite rock and is covered by thick vegetation, and is constituted by two distinctive chambers at different levels.

Continuing down river, a compulsory stop is the Ponte das Três Entradas (Three Way Bridge). A unique place where the Alvôco river meets with the Alva river, and a bridge with three entrances will leave you undecided.

The opitions here, are also three. On one side, Alvôco da Várzeas. An old population, probably before the nation. The appearance of mos and money and the anthroponemic legacy that still exists in Alvôco, prove that this population was occupied by the Romans, maybe because of it’s proximity of the explored mines that exist in the plains of the Alvôco river.

In this location it is compulsory to visit the Medieval bridge, (classified as a national monument)- over the Alvôco river that was constructed in the XIV century of the roman-gothic style of stone work, a monogrammed owner of two archs. Curious are the Alminhas do Terreirinho, as said by popular superstition, it is a place where witches meet for "congregations" and "forming engagements", at the exit of the village, on the road from Alvôco das Várzeas to Carvalhas.

Along the banks of the Alvôco river, there exits various mills, some still working. You can still see the communitarian irrigation system, maybe the largest of the region, being probable that it remounts back to the roman/arab period, designated by Levada. There exist two water-courses, the larger with 7kms, starts off in the parish of Vide and runs at the right margin of the Alvôco river to the village, and the other runs at the left margin, with an extension of 3kms, and originates at the dam of Cardam (Parente) and ends up at the old press of Alvôco.

The Quinta da Moenda, is an old farming base constituted by three buildings, an acient beam press dated 1770, a mill and a distillary, of which were respected the contents and original architecture for a unit of turism in a rural area. Next to this farm is a dam, where the river spreads itself and offers a beautiful perspective of the valley in the direction of the Serra da Estrela.

The standout goes to the margins and slopes of the Alvôco river, where you can find species of fauna and flora that are rare in the region. Otters, herons, pike, kingfishers, trout, cuckoos, chaffinchs, and hollies in the flora, enhance the hillsides of Presa and Barreiro (turned to the north).

This is one of the populations of the municipality of Oliveira do Hospital, that is the richest in legends. Witches, werewolves, princesses, eternal love, nostalgic memories... from every little supersticion, the population used to tell stories, some enchanting others to make you shiver.

Go back to Ponte das Três Entradas, and turn towards Aldeia das Dez, where the whole parish is a constant terrace.

The dazzling and warm Vale de Maceira, is one if the most important religious routes of the region. Greatly enriched by it’s location, at 800m of altitude, and by the abundance of fountains and lakes.

This sanctuary of Nossa Senhora das Preces, is made up by a main chapel from the XVIII century, dedicated to Nossa Senhora. Also making up this sanctuary are several cleven chapels with the design of the Passion of Christ, with wooden figures of natural size that remount to the XIV century, and yet by the Capela de Santa Eufêmia and the Capela de Nossa Senhora das Necessidades, that is situated on the Monte do Colcorinho, about 14kms from Aldeia das Dez.

On the "Monte", let yourself go by the enchantements of a view, where on a clear day, you can just see the ocean.

Back at the "Ponte", head down to Avô. Land of the poet-warrior Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas, author of the epic poem, "Viriato Trágico", and where lived the physician and also poet, Vasco Campos. Avô is one of the most beautiful populations of the municipality of Oliveira do Hospital.

Bathed also by the river Alva, the town of Avô was habitated by romans that were searching for lead and gold mines. Perhaps the real founders of the castle that is very degredated in the area. Next, came the arabs, of which the origin of the population is lost in the memory of time. In the meantime, a town with historical references of which its’ inhabitants are proud, and do all they can to preserve.

Before leaving Oliveira do Hospital, you must go by the village of Vila Pouca da Beira. Land of Genoveva do Espírito Santo, where she was born, and lived through the XVIII – XIX centuries. A poor and illiterate shepherd, that founded the Convento do Desagravo do Santíssimo Sacramento, where there existed an ample and majestic church.

Lourosa can be chosen as a last stop for this region. It is a very old location, before the Christian Conquering, as confirms it’s church, a National Monument. An only example in the country of Mozarabic style, and whose construction is attributed to the year 912. with all, during the works of restoration in 1930, there were found materials of roman origin, probably Visigothic, Mozarabic, Roman, Gothic and later.

They ended up being donated to the Sé de Coimbra, by Queen Teresa, on March 13,1119. King Afonso Henriques enclosed it, englobing half of the Sé with what belonged to Pedro Usurfis, on November 2, 1132. In the letter of registration, the bounderies are marked, finding in it a reference to what is designated today as the "Estrada da Beira" (N17).

Remains of medieval anthromorphic tombs, some roman others possibly Visigothic, can be obserbved from the mother Church and next to the frontpiece of the same. These tombs are sculptured into the granite hillside.

Translated by: David A. Fidalgo

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