What to visit?

The architectural and cultural heritage that can be visited in the region of Ponte de Lima is immense. See our       suggestions for visits, but if you prefer a very special and exclusive program be sure to check out our          Limia Experiences!

Chafariz Nobre (Noble Fountain)

Built in the current Largo Dr. António Magalhães, in 1603, near one of the main entrance gates to the town wall, it was transferred to Largo de Camões in 1929. Its Renaissance design and execution are commonly attributed to the famous Limiano Master João Lopes, Moço.

Because drinking water was so important, since there was only one fountain in the village and the population often complained, an inscription was placed next to the fountain on a granite block, which read the fines to those who defiled it.

Santo Estêvão da Facha Fort

The Santo Estêvão fort is an excellent example of the Iron Age, where some visible dwellings are still preserved, as a result of archaeological excavations carried out in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Some ceramics were recovered from the site, which allow us to date the occupation to the 7th century B.C., a time when the dwellings were not made of stone. With a superb view over the entire Facha valley, we invite you to enjoy the landscape.

"Cruzeiros" of Ponte de Lima

The crosses, commonly called "cruzeiros", are very important territorial landmarks in the Limian territory. Of the oldest we highlight the one in the middle of the medieval bridge in Ponte de Lima, the one in the church of Fornelos, the one in Almoinha in the parish of Vitorino das Donas and also the one in the chapel of S. Gonçalo in Arcozelo, these four are from the 16th century; those from the church of Correlhã, Senhor da Saúde in Sá, Cárcua in Bertiandos, church of Poiares and the one next to the pilgrimage route to Santiago in Pedrosa in Correlhã, are from the 17th century.

Romanesque churches of Ponte de Lima

There are several Romanesque traces in the municipality of Ponte de Lima, with special emphasis on religious architecture, highlighting the three examples that we present because they are the most representative, despite their simplicity. They require a closer look, taking into account the details that can be appreciated and that very well characterize what can be called the second phase of the Romanesque focus in a region already in full transition to the Gothic.

Refoios Monastery and Parish Church

The monastery of Refojos do Lima was the largest of all those that existed in the area of the present county of Ponte de Lima. It is classified as Property of Public Interest since 1939 and was acquired by the State, with permanent allocation to the service of the Catholic Church, by usucapion.                                                The Parish Church of Refoios was an integral part of this former Convent of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, which included the adjoining building now transformed into the School of Agriculture.

Pillories of Ponte de Lima

The pillory, symbol of municipal jurisdiction, was first called "picota"; a place where those who did not comply with the law were tied up and exposed. The picota of Ponte de Lima would have existed next to the stairway that gave access to the jail, today Picota square, inside the walls. Only in the 16th century it would have moved to the outside, on the sand. The floods of the river would collapse it and for this reason it was the subject of several restorations.

Roman and Medieval Bridges

Ponte de Lima's ex-libris, which together with the river that bathes the town, gave the town its name, is its bridge. In reality, it is a set formed by two bridges: a medieval section, larger in size, which starts on the left bank and extends to the Igreja de Santo António da Torre Velha and still passes through two arches. Then, the remaining section of the Roman bridge.

Medieval Grave and "Pedra do Cavalinho"

For those visiting Ponte de Lima, climbing the Santo Ovídio hill becomes mandatory to reconcile cultural heritage and natural heritage, because the landscape that can be seen from the top allows us to have a perception of the beauties of the region and, if we want, to make an analysis of the land structure, much of it based on medieval bases, which are witnessed by the many ancient walls that abound throughout the county.

Manors

Birthplace of an ancestral historical legacy, Ponte de Lima reserves the largest set of baroque manors existing in Portugal. The nobility of Ribeira Lima had a strong presence in the territory but it is during the 17th and 18th centuries that the civil architecture gains splendor and dimension, as a result of the fortunes promoted by the Brazilian sugar and gold.

Cadeia Velha and St. Paulo Towers

Classified as Buildings of Public Interest, the Torre da Cadeia Velha (Old Prison Tower) and the Torre de S. Paulo (that also had the name Torre da Expectação (Expectation Tower) and Torre do Postigo (Wicket Tower), are the most notorious testimonies of what remains of the old wall of Ponte de Lima, which, besides the walled structure, was composed by towers and doors, built during the reign of D. Pedro I, in the 14th century.

Tower of Refoios, Paço do Curutelo (Freixo) and Paço de Bertiandos

Medieval constructions, or with traces of the Middle Ages, proliferate all over the county of Ponte de Lima, especially if we pay attention to many elements that do not go unnoticed in the civil, military and religious architecture.

Center for Interpretation and Promotion of Vinho Verde

Located in a building classified as being of Public Interest - the Casa Torreada dos Barbosa Aranha - in the heart of Ponte de Lima's Historic Center, the Center for the Interpretation and Promotion of the Vinho Verde Wine intends to contribute to the promotion of Vinho Verde through research and the promotion of its heritage, as well as to the development and affirmation of wine tourism in the Vinho Verde Region.