The best road cycling routes around Sousel

The Ponte da Ribeira Grande is a historic stone bridge near Fronteira in the Portuguese region of Alentejo. It crosses the Ribeira Grande river and features ten round arches made of granite masonry. The bridge was part of the important road connection between Fronteira and Alter do Chão and is considered one of the landmarks of the municipality. In December 2022, it was significantly damaged by severe flooding. A comprehensive restoration is scheduled to begin in October 2026, after which the bridge will be reserved for pedestrians. A new road bridge is planned as a replacement.

The Ponte Suspensa de Montalvo is a historic suspension bridge in the Portuguese region of Alentejo, in the vicinity of Fronteira and Avis. Its construction with steel cables and a suspended bridge deck is reminiscent of the famous Ponte 25 de Abril in Lisbon, but it is significantly older. Originally, the roadway consisted of pine wood, which was later replaced by a metal structure.

The tribute to the horse in Alter do Chão refers to the famous Monumento ao Cavalo Alter Real, a majestic bronze equestrian statue located in the town of Alter do Chão, Portugal. The work celebrates the extraordinary historical and cultural bond between the Alentejo region and the prized Alter Real horse breed.

The Monument to the Alter Real Horse in Alter do Chão is a bronze equestrian statue inaugurated on October 15, 2005. Created by sculptors Maria Leal da Costa and Luís Valadares, the work pays homage to the village's horse breed, with the specimen "Oheide" as its model. The Monument and Tradition Location: Vila de Alter do Chão, in Alentejo. Authors: Maria Leal da Costa and Luís Valadares. Model: The stallion "Oheide", a symbol of the genetic purity of the Alter Real breed. Meaning: Public tribute from the local people to the region's foremost ambassador.

Fronteira is a town in the Portalegre district, famous for the Battle of Atoleiros (1384), a crucial victory for D. Nuno Álvares Pereira against Castile during the 1383-1385 crisis. 👍🥾🚲

Vimieiro was a municipal seat between 1257 and 1855. Two charters are known, the first granted by D. Francisco Bruno Neves, Bishop of Évora, in 1257, and the second by D. Manuel I, King of Portugal, in 1512. In 1801, it consisted of the parishes of the town and Santa Justa. It then had 1,819 inhabitants and an area of 266 km². In 1849, it consisted only of the parish of the town. It was suppressed by the administrative reform of 1855, consequently losing its status as a town, a fact that the coat of arms with a mural crown of four visible towers still marks today.

The town of Vimieiro, as a “land of music and musicians”, intends to promote a project of national scope, with the creation of a museum space on philharmonic music with a musical training component that allows the preservation of knowledge and traditions in this area and, simultaneously, the holding of “artistic residencies”, as well as the construction of an auditorium where the arts of music and speech can take place, valuing music teaching, the holding of workshops and other activities that the final plan should include. (Source: www.tribunaalentejo.pt )

Mural in homage to the Alter Real Initially called Alter-do-chão, but later its name was changed to Alter-Real, the breed is descended from Andalusian horses brought from Spain. Between 1809 and 1810, the breed was threatened during the Napoleonic invasions, when General Junot's French troops stole the best specimens of the breed. Crossbreeding with Thoroughbreds and Arabians weakened the breed, causing a great loss of its racial character, with 12 pure Zapata mares of the breed remaining. They were saved from extinction through the importation of three Andalusian stallions in 1992 directly from Jerez de la Frontera in Spain. At the end of the 20th century, measures were taken to restore the Alter-Real to its former characteristics and its best use in the modern world, in addition to its preservation. Today, the reproduction of the Alter-Real is controlled by the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture and its use is in Equestrianism and Dressage and it participated in the formation of the Brazilian Manga-Larga Paulista and Manga-Larga Marchador horses at the beginning of the 19th century. (Source:Wikipedia)