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Beira Alta is a historic province of the Central region of Portugal. The chief cities/district capitals are Guarda and Viseu.

Cities[edit]

Map
Map of Beira Alta
  • 1 Almeida — municipality containing the important border town of Vilar Formoso
  • 2 Gouveia — take the path to the highest geographical point of continental Portugal, with astonishing views over the valley
  • 3 Guarda — its medieval cathedral was built in the Gothic and Manueline styles
  • 4 Mangualde — inland city with an artificial sandy beach
  • 5 Moimenta da Beira — famous for the production of wine and apples
  • 6 Oliveira do Hospital — city with ancient civilization sights
  • 7 Pinhel — it has one of the more important castles along the Côa River Valley
  • 8 Sabugal — city along the River Côa with a Gothic castle
  • 9 Santa Comba Dão — riverside city
  • 10 Sernancelhe — with a 12th-century church
  • 11 Viseu — a charming hilltop city with a fine historic quarter, its Romanesque and Gothic cathedral is one of the finest in Portugal

Other destinations[edit]

  • Côa Valley — an open-air Paleolithic archaeological site with thousands of engraved rock drawings of horses, bovines and other animals, human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 years BCE

Understand[edit]

Beira Alta (BAY-ruh AHL-tuh, /ˈbɐj.ɾɐ ˈaɫ.tɐ/)

Mostly rural, except for Guarda & Viseu. Beautiful mountains (Serra da Estrela, Caramulo, Marofa). Tranquil rivers of (Mondego, Coa, Vouga, Paiva, Dao), gorgeous meadows, pinewood forest and castles along Terras de Riba-Coa (Pinhel, Almeida, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo (cattle and almond trees) and Sabugal area).

Get in[edit]

Train from Vilar Formoso- Guarda-Pampilhosa-Coimbra. Motorway A25 (Viseu-Aveiro-Guarda).

Get around[edit]

See[edit]

Cathedral and museums in Viseu: Museu Gao Vasco.

  • Guarda (Se/cathedral), castle of Pinhel & Sabugal Castle.

Do[edit]

  • São Pedro do Sul (spa/town)/Vouga valley.
  • Parque arqueologico do vale do Coa rupestre - pre-historic art
  • Ski during winter in Estrela Mountain, Loriga, Seia, Torre.

Eat[edit]

Queijo da Serra (hard cheese).

Drink[edit]

Wines, Dao & Pinhel.

Stay safe[edit]

Considered one of the safest in Portugal.

Go next[edit]


This region travel guide to Beira Alta is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!