Towns and Villages

Located in the heart of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, this region offers visitors a wide range of stunning views, in an area where nature has been allowed to preserve all of its many charms.

The town of Montalegre is dominated by its castle, built in the thirteenth century on the remains of a much older fortification, which demonstrates the importance that this site has always had as a strategic point of defence for the whole of the region.

In the surrounding area, close to the typical communal village of Pitões das Júnias, is the small and curious monastery of Santa Maria das Júnias, which today is in ruins but once belonged to the Cistercian Order (in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries).

As far as regional cuisine is concerned, Montalegre is famous for its sausages and smoked ham, and the Feira do Fumeiro (the smoked meats fair), which is held in January every year, is the ideal occasion for buying some of these tasty delights.