Mondim de Basto
Mondim de Basto is a beautiful village in the north of Portugal, seat of the municipality, located on the border between Minho and Trás-os-Montes, on the left bank of the River Tâmega, on the slope of the green Monte Farinha, topped by the beautiful Sanctuary of Senhora da Graça.
The entire municipality of Mondim de Basto is located in an area of great natural beauty, among hills and idyllic landscapes that seem lost in time, as in the Alvão Natural Park.
The origins of Mondim de Basto are very old, knowing that here inhabited Castro civilizations (on Mount Farinha there are traces of three different Castros), being conquered in the second century BC by the Romans, there is no certainty of occupation of other peoples.
Over the centuries Mondim de Basto has maintained its rural and agricultural feature that still characterizes it, with monuments such as the Romanesque Mother Church, having undergone some changes over the centuries, or the chapels of Senhor, Nossa Senhora da Piedade, Senhora da Ponte and S. Sebastião, as well as several “alminhas” scattered throughout the region, which demonstrate the ancestral religious fervor of these places. Also noteworthy is the medieval Ponte de Vilar de Viando, probably rebuilt from another Roman bridge.
Throughout the region there are several manor houses, stately homes and small palaces, which attest to the economic importance, due to the fertile soils, of the area, such as the Casa do Eirô, from the 18th century or the Solar dos Azevedos from the 7th century.
A place of tradition, there are two handicraft centers in Mondim de Basto, the main products being linen weaving, carpets and blankets, cooperage and basketry.
The great wealth of the municipality of Mondim de Basto lies in the enormous diversity of attractions it has to offer. Of which stand out, due to their relevance, Nossa Senhora da Graça with all its valences and charms and the Alvão Natural Park, where the spectacular Fisgas de Ermelo stand out, worthy representatives of our cultural, historical and environmental heritage.
On this trip through the lands of Mondim de Basto there are more attractive reasons:
Dreamy rivers, stunning landscapes, clear water streams, waterfalls and streams, hidden corners, water, lots of water and an endless forest patch. Nature in all its splendor! Romanesque churches and chapels, imposing manor houses, coats of arms, old streets, paths and tracks, bridges and medieval roads, castros and menhirs, sundials, pillories and crosses, in an absorbing walk through history and tradition.
The surprises don’t stop there:
Villages lost on the horizon, houses and balconies from Trás-os-Montes, sardinellas and carnations hanging from the windows, mountains touching the sky, hanging vineyards, harvest baskets and ladders, wineries and mills, squeaking ox carts, cornfields, threshing floors and granaries, defoliation, watermills, cattle of the Maronesa breed, herds and shepherds, washhouses, fountains, linen looms, working people, lots of people, rurality as a primary value!
Hiking, extreme sports, walking, hunting, fishing, picnics in the mountains or by the river, gardens and parks, terraces, fresh air, the pleasure of living!
Festivals and pilgrimages, processions, floats, flower carpets on the Solemnity of the Body of God, damask quilts in the windows, live Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, pilgrims’ night in Santiago, Earth Fair in August, grilled Maronesa steak, roast kid in a wood oven, ham and cornbread, wine in the malga, cavacas, rosquilhos, pão-de-ló and bolo da Teixeira, heather honey from our hills, cantigas ao desafio, ranchos and tocatas, guitars and serenades in the moonlight, dances and summer evenings, because tradition is still what it was!
