Sistelo , The little Portuguese Tibet

With around 270 inhabitants, the quiet village of Sistelo, in the municipality of Arcos de Valdevez, began to receive more visitors when, in 2018, it was chosen as one of the winning villages in the 7 Wonders of Portugal competition. Next to the source of the Vez River, there is a magnificent green terraced landscape that earned it the nickname “the little Portuguese Tibet”.

Sistelo’s walkways attracted many tourists to the region, but it was not until 2017 when the Sistelo Cultural Landscape was recognised by the President of the Republic as a National Monument that the village emerged from anonymity. In Portugal, it is the first time that a village as a whole has been classified as a cultural and natural heritage, which until now was only attributed to built heritage.Like so many other Portuguese villages, Sistelo also suffers from desertification, but maintains all its traditional character of simple people living off the land. Walking through its streets you will find typical houses, streets with large stones worn by ox carts, mills, washing places and granaries.

The town's ex-libris is undoubtedly the castle, which is actually a palace from the late 19th century where the Viscount of Sistelo lived. Manuel António Gonçalves Roque was born here, but soon left for Brazil where he became a successful merchant. Upon his return, he invested his fortune in the construction of a rectangular revivalist palace, with two crenellated towers, where he intended to install an interpretation centre for the biodiversity of the Vez River and the promotion of local products.But there is much more to see and enjoy. Let yourself be carried away by the sounds of the village and stroll through the alleys, visit the church, the Roman bridge over the Vez River, the restored mill, the hermitage of Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos and the chapels of Santo António, São João Evangelista, da Senhora dos Remédios and Senhora do Carmo.

For a panoramic view, don't miss the Chã da Armada viewpoint, where you can marvel at the mountainous landscape covered with terraces. It is fascinating to see the agricultural production terraces, the result of human occupation that ended up shaping the landscape. The terraces are living proof of the human capacity to adapt to the peculiarities and adversities of nature.Built to increase the cultivated area, the terraces allow the use of the land for subsistence farming of corn, beans and potatoes; and the grazing of animals, mainly the “barrosã” and “cachena” type cows, adapted to the climate and relief of the region.

If you enjoy walking in nature and the weather is right, take the nine-kilometre-long “Trilho das Brandas de Sistelo” trail, which starts in the village and is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful trails in Portugal. You can also walk along the famous Sistelo walkways that connect the medieval Vilela bridge to the iconic village by the Vez River. Take advantage afterwards to have a picnic or swim in the crystal-clear waters of the river beach.