Discover Melgaço: Trails, Nature and Culture

Melgaço offers an unusual combination of landscapes, history and regional experiences. Those planning a trip with active days, cultural discoveries and enjoyable breaks will find a range of ways to shape their stay here. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore pay particular attention to which themes should define your trip: hiking trails, nature along the Minho River, historic sites, or the cuisine and wine culture of Alto Minho.

Hiking among circular trails, the river and mountain landscapes

The municipal trail network of Melgaço comprises 16 routes. Most of the trails are designed as circular routes and together cover a total distance of 172.3 km. This allows day planning to be adapted to different trail lengths, without every hike following the same route. The PR I Lamas de Mouro–Cevide hiking trail is also available for a linear tour. It is approximately 16 km long and offers a different way of planning a route from the predominantly circular municipal trails.

The Percurso Marginal do Rio Minho offers a special way of orienting yourself around the water. The trail is approximately 5.7 km long and ends in the village of Peso. It includes a wooden walkway approximately 1,500 m long on the slope above the Minho River. The river belongs to the Natura 2000 network; at the same time, Melgaço includes areas within the Peneda-Gerês National Park and belongs to the cross-border Gerês-Xurés Biosphere Reserve.

Fortress, museums and traces of the past

The medieval fortress of Melgaço was the most important strategic military point in Alto Minho in the 12th century. Melgaço Castle was built in the 12th century and is classified as a National Monument. The ascent to the Torre de Menagem offers views of the neighbouring mountain ranges and the historic centre of the town. In this way, exploring the history of the place is combined with a direct view of the surrounding area.

The museums also focus on different subjects. The Espaço Memória e Fronteira presents the history of illegal emigration in the 1960s and 1970s. It covers the reasons, travel preparations, the journey itself and life in the host country. The Museu de Cinema de Melgaço Jean Loup Passek features a permanent exhibition and a temporary exhibition spread across two floors of the building. For a trip with a cultural focus, these places complement the historic buildings with social and film-history themes.

Archaeological discoveries take you further back in time: the Gravuras Rupestres do Fieiral are rock engravings and evidence of the area's early settlement in the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age. They cannot be reached by car; access is via a difficult footpath. The Necrópole Megalítica do Planalto de Castro Laboreiro comprises approximately 62 burial mounds, most of which contain megalithic dolmens. Such destinations are particularly suitable for visitors who enjoy combining their excursions with tangible traces of history and who take the respective access conditions into account when planning.

Combining active days with more relaxing experiences

In addition to hiking, Melgaço offers further possibilities for a varied trip. The Centro de BTT de Melgaço has five signposted routes with different levels of difficulty and a total length of 170 km. Canyoning is available on five routes with different levels of difficulty. Rafting can be practised in Melgaço all year round.

A one-hour visit to the Termas de Melgaço provides a deliberate contrast to longer tours. It includes access to the thermal pool, sauna and Turkish bath. The Caminhos de Fé pilgrimage route also opens up a distinct travel perspective: it passes through Melgaço via Lamas de Mouro and runs for approximately 25 km to Galicia. There, it is connected to the Concello de Arbo by the international bridge over the Minho River.

Alvarinho, regional products and local stories

Wine and traditional products are also part of the region's character. Solar do Alvarinho is located in the historic centre of Melgaço and serves as a presentation and exhibition venue for Alvarinho wine. The Rota do Alvarinho de Monção & Melgaço promotes wine tourism and invites visitors to visit participating businesses. Fumeiro de Melgaço has the status of a protected geographical indication (PGI); its tradition dates back more than 500 years.

Further experiences bring you closer to the production process and the people of the region. Cabras Felizes includes milking goats, visiting the cheese dairy and tasting cheese. At the Pesqueiras do Rio Minho, visitors can meet fishermen, hear local stories and observe the catching of lampreys or shad.

More places to choose from

For further orientation, in addition to Melgaço you can also include Melgaço, Castro Laboreiro, Lamas De Mouro, Cubalhão and Paços in your selection of destinations. This allows you to combine your search for a holiday apartment or holiday home with your personal priorities for the trip.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Valença, Ponte Da Barca.

To the higher-level travel overview: Viana Do Castelo.