All Portugal Property.com offers Central Portugal
Central Portugal:
Magnificent mountains, verdant landscapes and a huge variety of history, culture and nature make up the character of Central Portugal, with it's natural spring waters at the sources of the rivers Zêzere and Mondego, and glacial lakes. All these conditions allows the practice of all kind of outdoor sports: on land, sky or water. Read more
In this region, Serra da Estrela is one of the most sought after destinations and also the highest elevation (high enough to have an operating ski resort in the winter) of mainland Portugal, and the second largest in the territory of the Portuguese Republic (only the Pico, in the Azoresis higher). It has an altitude of 1993 meters and is located between the municipalities of Seia and Covilhã. it is believed that the ancient Romans called it Montes Hermínios (Herminius Mons), and was the birthplace of Lusitanian warrior Viriato.
Tthe Serra da Estrela Natural Park, which covers a significant part of central Portugal, which is the heart of inland Portugal, includes the districts of Castelo Branco and Guarda. Marked by hard rock of granite and slate, and traces of ancient glaciers, the high altitude and location of the natural park make it one of the places in the country with the highest rainfall. The region of the Park has a temperate mountain climate, with fresh summers, very cold winters and occurrence of snow, which can be intense, between the months of October and May.
The National Park has unique species of flora and also wildlife, like the wolf (Canis lupus), the boar, otter and fox (Vulpes vulpes).
The lowest temperatures of Portugal have been recorded at the summit of Serra de Estrella, with minimums that hit the mark of -20 ° C in winter.
The Serra da Estrela Cheese , considered one of the best cheeses from Portugal, is produced in this region there is also a breed of dogs (great dane sized sheep dog) named Serra da Estrela.
The winter snow is not the only atraction of this region, Visitors can either taste the emotions of the radical sports, like paragliding at Linhares, or other sports such as canoeing and rafting, rock-climbing, abseiling and many other adventure sports. For the ones that do not apreciate sports, a good sugestion is the natural swimming pools from Serra do Açor e Serra da Lousã, and the peaceful foothpaths from Serra do Caramulo. As we walk in the direction of the coast, there is Coimbra, one of the oldest towns in Portugal. A city of narrow streets, courtyards, staircases and medieval arches , Coimbra was the birthplace of six kings of Portugal and the First Dynasty, as well as the first university (one of the oldest in Europe) in the country. While the first capital of Portugal, Coimbra has been over the centuries an important musical center. Historically, the New Cathedral, the Monastery of Santa Cruz (founded by D. Afonso Henriques) and the University (with tuition of music since 1323) were the main centres of music practice and production. The university has also a fabulous baroque library.
Among the atractions of the town, is the National Museum of Machado de Castro next to the New Cathedral, located in the former Bishop's Palace in the city, considered one of the most important museums in the country, has important collections of paintings, sculpture, jewellery, ceramics and textiles.
The university also has collections of rare value, highlighting up the collections of scientific instruments of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Museum of Physics, and the collections of Anthropology, Zoology, Botany Mineralogy and the Museum of Natural History. Recently, these collections have been grouped in the Museum of Science of the University. Coimbra is also a city of art, there are 31 art galleries scattered throughout the city, which received over 200 000 visitors in 2003, according to the INE.
Coimbra is home to many of the nation's most famous of traditions, such as Coimbra Fado. The local region is filled with the history of fierce battles and stories of Portugal's roots before it became a nation. Here is also the largest Romans Ruins in Portugal - Conimbriga. In the surroundings the historic villages such as Monsanto, Guarda or Viseu are dominated by the traditional stone architecture of Central Portugal through which two traditional wine routes - the Dão and Bairrada Wines take visitors on a tour of the area and vineyards. Here you'll also discover the Luso and Curia thermal waters and Spas. Neighbouring Bussaco, in the tree-covered hills is an ideal place for relaxing.
Finally, the Central Portugal coast, known as the Costa da Prata, (Silver Coast) has charming coastal villages with peaceful atmospheres, lagoons and rivers, high sand dunes of white sand and high waves.
Central Portugal is a region of warm hospitality, offering visitors genuine portuguese villages. The charm of the people is to be seen in the authenticity of their rituals, and their popular festivities. But it is also found in their cuisine, with its cheeses, sausages and mountain honey.
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