Lanheses: Heritage and Trails along the Lima

Lanheses brings together cultural and historical themes with routes along the Lima. At the Ecomuseum, Quinta e Paço and Cividade, very different periods come into view; on the PR25/PEQ1, the starting point, permitted uses and route through the floodplain shape the route description.

Cultural history in Lanheses

The former primary school building in Lanheses is the starting point of the Ecomuseu de Lanheses. An exhibition there displays 120 photographs dedicated to preserving the “Memórias de Lanheses.” The images and their dedication give the exhibition a specific local focus: it turns the spotlight on memories of Lanheses.

Quinta e Paço de Lanheses has been documented in written records since the late 15th or early 16th century. The Pelourinho de Feira now stands at the entrance to the gardens of Paço de Lanheses. This makes it possible to distinguish two aspects of the heritage: the estate’s long-documented history and the Pelourinho’s present-day location.

The Cividade de Lanheses dates to a much earlier period. It is an agricultural hillfort typical of the region; its settlement is dated to the 1st century BC. By comparison, written records for Quinta e Paço begin many centuries later. Ponte de Linhares may date from the 15th or 16th century. This dating is more tentative than the written documentation for Quinta e Paço: for the bridge, the period remains a possibility.

Lanheses’s cultural heritage also includes its ceramics: they were faience. Thus, alongside archaeological and architectural remains, the wares of the local ceramic-making history also come into view.

Two routes with different features

The PR25/PEQ1 – “Pedestrian and equestrian Lima River Trail” – can be used on foot or on horseback. A possible starting point is Largo da Seara in the centre of Lanheses. The route is about 18 km long and runs through the floodplain on the right bank of the Lima, between the municipal boundary of Viana do Castelo and the parish of Lanheses. If you want to assess a route by its permitted uses and distance, the PR25/PEQ1 offers specific details.

The PR22 – Trilhos dos Romeiros – walking trail also begins in Lanheses and is part of the Geoparque Litoral de Viana do Castelo. Compared with the PR25/PEQ1, its starting point in Lanheses and its inclusion in the Geopark are the main features. For the PR25/PEQ1, by contrast, the option to travel on foot or on horseback and its course along the Lima are important features.

River and recreation

Parque Verde de Lanheses is the main recreational area of the parish of Lanheses. This adds a dedicated focus on recreation to the historic sites and routes. The different themes let you explore Lanheses according to your interests, whether through its cultural history, trails or recreational area.

The Lima also has a conservation designation: the section that runs through Lanheses is part of the Special Area of Conservation PTCON0020. On the PR25/PEQ1, the same river serves as a geographical reference for the route along its right bank. These are two different perspectives on the Lima: the conservation designation of the river section and the landscape through which the route passes.

Discover more destinations: Chafé, Montaria, Deocriste, Meixedo, Outeiro, Vila de Punhe, Viana Do Castelo, Mujães.

Go to the main travel overview: Viana Do Castelo.