Easy hikes and walks around Várzea

Lovely village for a morning stroll. There is a nice baroque church dedicated to Santa Mafalda, annex to an old convent house, which can be visited too. Around the square you can find some houses with the facade covered in portuguese traditional tiles. Don't forget to get some traditional pastries or have "Pudim Abade de Priscos" in the bakery to the left of the picture; it's worth every spoon.

small town but very welcoming

In charming Arouca you will find the Arouca Monastery, an architectural and historical landmark, and the picturesque streets and squares that exude ancient charm. The local gastronomy, in particular the conventual sweets, is an attraction in itself. The Arouca Geopark is famous for its Paiva Walkways, offering spectacular trails and views over the Paiva River, as well as trilobite fossils, highlighting an important geological and natural heritage.

These trails, which stretch along the cliffs of Frecha da Mizarela, offer stunning views of the highest waterfall in mainland Portugal. At every step, the immensity of the mountainous landscape surprises you, making each steep climb a reward in itself.

Domingos de Pinho Brandão was born on January 9, 1920, in the parish of Rossas, Arouca, in Casa do Outeiro, place of Outeiro, son of Domingos de Pinho Brandão (related to the Almeida Brandão family, from Casa de Telarda, place of Telarda, Rossas) and D. Luciana Joaquina Martins de Pinho Brandão. D. Domingos de Pinho Brandão's father bought Casa do Outeiro, at the end of the 19th century, from Augusto de Pina Resende de Abreu Freire, who was the uncle of the university professor, doctor and Nobel Prize in Medicine António Egas Moniz: António Caetano de Abreu Freire Egas Moniz.

Located next to Av. 25 de Abril, the Arouca Municipal Park invites you to enjoy moments of peace in the heart of the historic center. It is home to the statue of the Holy Queen Mafalda. In the immediate vicinity are the Arouca Municipal Library, the Terreiro de Santa Mafalda and the Arouca Monastery. It is equipped with a playground, a 5-a-side football pitch and a car park.

The Arouca Monastery was an important Cistercian monastery in Arouca in the north of Portugal. The buildings and art treasures bear witness to its great period in the 17th and 18th centuries. The former convent buildings now house a museum of sacred art. The church, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is visited by pilgrims in particular as the place of work and burial of the Blessed Mafalda of Portugal. The building complex has been listed as a National Monument since 1910.

In charming Arouca you will find the Arouca Monastery, an architectural and historical landmark, and the picturesque streets and squares that exude ancient charm. The local gastronomy, in particular the convent sweets, is an attraction in itself. The Arouca Geopark is famous for its Paiva Walkways, offering spectacular trails and views over the Paiva River, as well as trilobite fossils, highlighting an important geological and natural heritage.