Aveiro - Alma Nostra

Aveiro

This small town, once a great seaport, has a long history. It was a very prosperous city in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries thanks to the salt and cod fishing practiced in Newfoundland.

Aveiro is crossed by a series of water channels which make it one of the most unique cities in Portugal. The city continues to explore the salines, the meadows, the rice fields and the lands fed by the seaweeds. Fishing is abundant but the main wealth of the region comes from the industry (traditional porcelain manufacture, cellulose factory, canned fish, shipyards and steel mills).

Aveiro is the capital of the district that includes the following counties: Águeda, Albergaria-a-Velha, Anadia, Arouca, Aveiro, Castelo de Paiva, Espinho, Estarreja, Ílhavo, Mealhada, Murtosa, Oliveira de Azeméis, Oliveira do Bairro, Ovar, Santa Maria da Feira, São João da Madeira, Sever do Vouga, Vagos, Vale de Cambra.

Crafts

At the silver coastline, as it is called, miniatures occupy a prominent position in the regional handicrafts. They can be made in ceramic, cloth or wood. In Aveiro we can find small Moliceiros as replicas of the ships that sail the river. In Mira we can find miniatures of xávega fishing boats and bullock carts. In the district we can also highlight the porcelain and pottery, basketry, weaving, forged iron, pottery painting, sand casting, tin work, cooperage, lace, work in copper and slate, the tapestry, and painted tiles.

To visit

Pedras parideiras (Breeder stones) – Arouca

Natural Reserve of São Jacinto’s dunes – São Jacinto

Frecha da Mizarela – Serra da Freita

Santa Maria da Feira Castle

Buçaco National Forest – Luso