Through the Historical Villages trails | Castelo Rodrigo

A Beirão Welcome A light dinner to kick-off the weekend, with local delicacies and wine of this winemaking sub-region. Visit to the engravings of the Vale do Côa Archaeological Park The rock art of the Côa Valley has been classified as World Heritage since 1998 and is the largest open-air museum in the world. In an off-road vehicle and in the company of guides specialised in rock art, come with us to discover natural heritage of incredible beauty, visiting the main sites of the area of the Park with Palaeolithic rock art: Canada do Inferno, Penascosa and Ribeira de Piscos. Night Visit The nocturnal experience of visiting this archaeological site is impactful, and with good reason. The light shining on the engravings creates a light-shadow effect which highlights the engraved motifs, making them "emerge" from the surface. On the other hand, when we arrive at the archaeological site we have a feeling of smallness, by how far we go back in time and by the force that nature has on us. The night, the sounds, the engravings, and the moonlight are our other guides in one of the most incredible experiences in Côa.  

Boat trip in Barca D’alva When you see Barca D’alva and the entire landscape of almond and olive groves from Alto da Sapinha, the anxiety for this experience grows. We calmly board a catamaran and sail along the international waters of the River Douro and River Águeda, passing under the international bridges. In relaxed conversation we listen to the stories that once crossed the banks, those of smuggling, religion or immigration are topics that our captain shares with us. And there's a surprise on board, but it will only be revealed when you visit us! Lunch at a Haute Cuisine Restaurant After driving along roads with an incredible landscape, the Douro behind us, olive and almond groves surrounding the roadside, we enter an old olive oil mill. What better way to feel the landscape that has accompanied us than these gourmet experiences. This is a traditional cuisine restaurant in which the search for old traditional recipes of the region and their transposition to the present, transforms the dishes of this restaurant into "haute cuisine", using the products of the land and the region available each season. Visit with a character of that period to the Historical Village of Castelo Rodrigo A theatrical model of "encounters with history" already known in Castelo Rodrigo, in which an actor plays and dresses as a person of that period of history and guides the visit from that character's point of view, telling the history and stories of the village. We will listen carefully to the legend of Marofa, a Jewish legend. The stories will be told by Zacuto, Luis or even Ephraïm Bueno, a doctor of Castelo Rodrigo who lived in the court of Flanders. Visit the Winery and Wine Tasting The Castelo Rodrigo Cooperative Winery plays an important role in this border town, contributing to the social and economic development of many producers. The visit to the winery will direct us through the entire process of the winery's wines, taking in an old still that, even not working, is preserved as a museum piece. The visit ends in the cosy tasting room that makes us feel that everything that is authentic, is simple, unpretentious, but elegant. A wine tasting with an explanation about the wines. What we want visitors to take from the visit is the perception of wines of extraordinary body created by a cooperative winery, the strength of a wine region and the certainty of wanting to come back! Dinner in a former grocery store What if a grocery store gave way to a restaurant and we added photos and articles of a lifetime? This would be the deconstruction of a restaurant concept and conviviality. Between the aromas of the kitchen and the smell of history, the feeling you get is that all that's missing is a sofa to relax on. Wait a minute, there is one!

Visit to the Ephraïm Bueno Interpretation Centre (1599-1665) The history of the Jewish presence in the municipality of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo is now inventoried and documented at the Ephraïm Bueno Interpretive Centre (1599 - 1665), a Jew born in Castelo Rodrigo who was a doctor, physicist and writer, who had a very notable professional and social career in the Dutch court. The municipality has records and traces of the Jewish presence, which are intended to bear witness to that presence based on royal documents, such as chancelleries, but also through Inquisition proceedings against people of these regions. Lunch at Local Restaurant Lunch at a cosy and bright restaurant where Matilde strives to present the best the region has to offer, with a touch of modernity.