The walk through rural myths starts here

They call it the Estrela (Star) Mountain Range because it’s the highest point in mainland Portugal, the closest to the sky. It’s right in the center of the country, some 250 kms south of Porto and 100 from Spain. Up there are blue lagoons (with bizarre legends, like an underground river that connects them to Lisbon!), and the mountain is home to various treasures: wool and cheese, and reliable dogs – that’s the shepherding trilogy – and winter sports. You have to be an expert to know all this, and we know how.

The impressive landscape is surrounded by ancient towns and villages, and Estrela is a kind of cathedral of nature for them: Guarda, Sabugal, Covilhã, Fundão, Sabugal, Seia, all of them open-air museums of Portugal’s millenary history. They have always lived off those mountain treasures. The mountain’s animals are unique and fundamental. The Estrela dog breed descends from the ancient mastiffs of Tibet. With the shepherds, they keep the native sheep, the “bordaleiras”, whose wool is extracted for “burel”, a durable and comfortable fabric – and, in this case, one must certainly visit and stay at the most excellent Casa das Penhas Douradas hotel and factory, where “burel” is produced –, and they also provide the milk for a unique cheese, called “da Estrela”, a prince of national gastronomy.

It’s all part of a scenery full of life, waiting to be explored along ancient paths or by the banks of the two great rivers that rise in the mountains, the Mondego and the Zêzere. The first runs all the way to Coimbra and flows into the Atlantic in Figueira da Foz. The Zêzere flows into the Tagus, and part of it includes the largest glacial valley in Europe, carved out millennia ago. It’s impressive.

Between history and myths, nature and monuments, men and animals, Estrela is “the” winter destination. Yes, Portugal has snow! And, incredibly, it’s only a two-hour drive from an Atlantic beach… So, get your skis ready when you come to discover the incredible Estrela! There’s no shortage of sophisticated and welcoming winter resorts.

Then you have to go down the mountain in search of the people…

Marialva, Trancoso, Piódão, Monsanto… The names sound like words taken from a magical enchantment. These are all villages scattered around the center of Portugal, dating back to when the nation was founded almost 900 years ago, all part of the Historical Villages network, a destination with 12 places to discover. They preserve the architectural features of early times, the ancestral customs of its people and natural beauty of one of the most enchanting regions of the country. Plus, there’s an ample structure of accommodations, gastronomy, leisure, and pedestrian and bike pathways.

This much chosen touristic destination is defined not only by its attractions, but by its connections. The network is located in a privileged area in the center of Portugal, between Lisbon and Porto, framed in the landscapes of the Estrela Mountains, Douro River, Malcata, Gardunha and Açor Muntains, and Tagus River protected landscapes.

The Belmonte village in particular is an amazing place to discover the Portuguese Jewish culture. The unmissable Jewish Museum preserves the memory of the community that, for centuries, resisted the edicts of expulsion of the Catholic monarchs, the watchful gaze of the Inquisition and the penalties of its court. They are the “Marrano” Jews, who, when obliged to the Christian conversion, kept their faith in secret.

They are indeed portals to a time gone by, free from modern urgencies. Welcome to rural Portugal, majestic, pure and mysterious. The old paths await you!