São Pedro da Cova: Mining History and Landscape

São Pedro da Cova combines mining history with a landscape explored along named ridges and waterways. The Museu Mineiro, the Cavalete do Poço de São Vicente and the PR3 Trilho de Belói each offer a different focus: collection and exhibition, industrial structure and route. There is also the Parque Urbano de São Pedro da Cova. If you are looking for a hotel in São Pedro da Cova, these themes can help you plan your trip around the character of the place.

Mining history in the museum and exhibitions

The Museu Mineiro de São Pedro da Cova was founded in 1989 and is housed in one of the former buildings of the Casas da Malta. Its location adds a tangible historical context to the collection. The collection includes equipment used in coal extraction, processing and shipping, plant and animal fossils, and the company archive of Companhia das Minas de Carvão de São Pedro da Cova. Tools, natural specimens and archive material thus represent different aspects of the town’s mining identity.

The exhibition “Valorização do Trabalho das Mulheres Mineiras” explores women’s socioeconomic work in connection with this identity. It was intended as a permanent exhibition. Its thematic focus broadens the perspective on mining history to include women’s work, while the collections of equipment and company archives highlight other aspects. Those interested in the history of the mines can therefore explore a range of themes, rather than focusing only on the technical side of coal mining.

The 2024–2025 national mining route guide lists two formats for presenting the work once carried out in the mines. “A Luz que nos Ilumina” is a guided activity using new technologies and an interactive screen. It explains the work in the mines and the former workers of the Minas de São Pedro da Cova. “Os Briquetes” takes the form of a role-play for a photo: visitors can dress up as miners and reenact former mining activities. The two formats described are therefore quite different: one presents information in a guided format with the help of a screen, while the other invites visitors to recreate the past for a photo.

Industrial architecture and landscape

The Cavalete do Poço de São Vicente was built in 1934. The 38.5-metre-high industrial structure is made of reinforced concrete. Its year of construction, height and material give the mining theme an architectural dimension: rather than a collection of objects, the focus here is a specific structure. The building and the museum collections thus shed light on mining history in different ways.

The PR3 Trilho de Belói runs through the Serras de Santa Justa e Castiçal, through the valley of the Rio Ferreira and along its tributary, the Ribeira de Silveirinhos. The route lies within the parish of S. Pedro da Cova. This combination of ridges, river valley and tributary defines the route’s setting. It gives the walking trail a different focus from the museum and industrial structure: here, the emphasis is on the sequence of named landscape features, rather than the collection or the structure.

The Parque Urbano de São Pedro da Cova is an urban park covering an area of 21,000 square metres. As part of its redevelopment, the Tanque das Três Pernas was also upgraded. At the time, visitors could climb it to enjoy a panoramic view of the area. This opportunity is tied to the redevelopment at that time. Along with the PR3, the park offers another way to experience the landscape, while the museum, exhibition and Cavalete explore mining history from different perspectives.

Discover more destinations: Lomba, Foz do Sousa, Rio Tinto.

For the wider travel overview: Gondomar.