Amarante: Culture, Trails and the Tâmega

Amarante combines impressive religious buildings, signposted trails and the Tâmega flowing through the town. If you would like to combine culture and physical activity on your trip, you will find various points of interest here: historic churches, trails ranging from 3.8 to around 28 kilometres, walks along the riverbanks and traditional festivals. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can therefore first consider whether your days should focus mainly on architecture, longer stretches of trail, short walks or an event date.

Cultural History between Monasteries and Churches

The Convento de São Gonçalo is an important cultural landmark. The Dominican monastery was founded in 1540; the Church of São Gonçalo and the cloister have been preserved. On the Varanda dos Reis stand statues of D. João III from his reign from 1521 to 1557, D. Sebastião from 1557 to 1578, D. Henrique from 1578 to 1580 and D. Filipe I from 1581 to 1598. These rulers supported the construction of the monastery. Other important sights on the Caminho de Torres in Amarante include the Ponte de São Gonçalo and the Convento de São Gonçalo.

Further religious buildings are represented by the Igreja de São João Baptista de Gatão, the church of the Mosteiro do Salvador de Travanca and the Igreja dos Clérigos de São Pedro. The Igreja de São João Baptista de Gatão is a building whose construction extended over the 13th and 14th centuries. Frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries have been preserved near the triumphal arch and in the chapel, including depictions of the Crucifixion, the Coronation of the Virgin, and the martyrdoms of Saint Sebastian, Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Saint Lucy. The church of the Mosteiro do Salvador de Travanca was built in the 13th century. The Igreja dos Clérigos de São Pedro has a Baroque façade characterised by its verticality; it is said to have been completed in 1727, with this date inscribed on the keystone of the arch on the main façade.

Trails for Different Daily Plans

The signposted Caminho de Torres extends for around 28 kilometres in Amarante. You should take this distance into account when planning your day. Several other trails offer shorter alternatives: the Rota do Marancinho – PR1 is a six-kilometre circular route that starts and ends at the Igreja de Santa Maria de Gondar. One section follows the old Roman road that connected Tongobriga in Marco de Canaveses via Amarante with the rock sanctuary of Panóias in Vila Real.

Two linear trails with different distances run along the Tâmega. The Trilho dos Castanheiros is 3.8 kilometres long, follows the left bank and starts in the Parque Florestal de Amarante. The trail is easy to complete. The Trilho das Azenhas runs for seven kilometres along the right bank of the Tâmega and is also linear and easy to complete. The Parque Florestal de Amarante covers around five hectares and is visited for recreation, sport and walks. Depending on your preferred length for the day, you can therefore choose between a longer signposted trail, a circular route or a shorter riverside trail.

The Tâmega, Bridges and Regional Traditions

The Tâmega shapes experiences in Amarante not only as a landscape feature. You can walk along its banks; canoeing is also practised there. Another notable crossing over a body of water is the Ponte de Fundo de Rua, also known as Ponte da Aboadela. The stone bridge over the Ovelha River has four round arches of different sizes. It was one of two crossings between Amarante and Trás-os-Montes and is mentioned in the work of Camilo Castelo Branco, who passed through this place several times.

Regional culture also includes the Viola Amarantina, which remains associated with regional folk music and traditional gatherings on Eiras. If you would like to plan your stay around a fixed event, the Festas de Junho take place on the first weekend of June in honour of São Gonçalo de Amarante. An online registration form is available for group visits to the Museu Municipal Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso.

Further Places for Planning Your Trip

You can also visit the pages on Amarante, Ataíde, Freixo De Cima, Fregim, Carneiro, Mancelos, Padronelo, Lufrei, Vila Meã and Candemil. When choosing your holiday apartment, the main consideration is which of these cultural and scenic highlights you would like to include in your personal travel plans.

For the main travel overview: Porto.