Serpins between Levada Trails and History

Serpins between Levada Trails and History

Serpins brings together historical landmarks with traces of paper production and a trail that follows the Levadas along the Ceira. This offers different perspectives for your stay: you can explore water management and a riverside route, or focus on the town’s architectural and industrial history. These themes range from a route along the Levadas to the remains of medieval bridge piers and a ruined paper mill. If you are looking for a hotel in Serpins, these specific themes can help guide your choice of destination.

The Eco-Trilhos and the Levadas

The Eco-Trilhos: Percursos e Levadas na Vila de Serpins follows Levadas that draw water from the Ceira River. The route description, published in June 2023, starts at a watermill supplied with water from the Ceira by a Levada and heads towards the river beach in Serpins. The route can be understood through three specific features: the river, the Levada it feeds, and the mill at the starting point. The route makes water management itself a theme, rather than focusing solely on getting from one point to another. For travellers interested in Levada trails, this provides a clear focus: the Ceira is connected to the mill at the starting point and the rest of the route through the Levada.

Praia Fluvial da Senhora da Graça

Praia Fluvial da Senhora da Graça lies on the Ceira River in the municipality of Serpins and has an outdoor car park. Check the facilities before your visit. The Ceira features explicitly in both themes: as the river beside the Praia and as the source of the Levadas in the route description. When planning, you can therefore consider the river connection both through the river beach mentioned here and through the Levada route description.

Pelourinho and Ponte Velha

The Pelourinho de Serpins dates from the 16th century and was re-erected at its current location in the 1930s. Its original date and its re-erection should therefore be distinguished: the monument predates its return to its present site. Ponte Velha points to an even earlier period. It consists of the remains of the piers of a medieval bridge dating back to the 14th century. In chronological terms, Ponte Velha represents a medieval origin, while the Pelourinho combines an early modern origin with a later re-erection. These different points of reference give you two specific ways to understand the architectural history of Serpins.

The history of paper in Boque

The Fábrica de Papel do Boque is in the district of Boque in Serpins, on the banks of the Ceira River, and was founded in 1861. Its industrial history includes a continuously operating paper machine, the first of its kind to operate in Portugal. The complex is derelict and in an advanced state of ruin. Two aspects are key to understanding it: its technical significance in the history of production and the complex’s current physical condition. The factory broadens the view of Serpins beyond the remains of the medieval bridge and the Pelourinho, adding a distinct focus on industrial history.

Discover more destinations: Lousã

Back to the main travel overview: Lousã.