Treixedo: Walking Trail, Heritage and Ecopista do Dão

For a trip to Treixedo, two different routes sit alongside a layered local history. The Percurso de Treixedo is a 9.52-kilometre circular trail. The Ecopista do Dão, by contrast, follows the route of a former railway line. Churches, a manor house and other historic landmarks connect the routes with Treixedo’s history. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether to give greater emphasis to the local circular trail, the former railway line or the historic sites.

The Percurso de Treixedo and its Points of Interest

The Percurso de Treixedo starts on Rua do Calvário, next to the sports pavilion and the former Treixedo primary school. The circular trail is 9.52 kilometres long. Its points of interest include the old Treixedo railway station and the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Saúde. From the parish church area, the trail passes through woodland towards Granjal. These details give the circular trail a clear connection to Treixedo’s town centre and nearby places, without grouping the different stops into a single type of attraction.

The Percurso passes the abandoned Solar do Torreão, also known as Visconde de Treixedo. The manor house has a family coat of arms and a private chapel. The church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção is an 18th-century building on the southern edge of the built-up area. Together with the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Saúde, this links two distinct religious sites to the trail. The route also leads from the parish church area through woodland towards Granjal, connecting places in the town with a stretch in the surrounding area.

Historic Landmarks in Treixedo

One precisely dated part of the town’s history goes back to 1514: on 16 March, Treixedo received a charter from King Manuel. The town’s notable heritage sites also include Roman remains. Near Nossa Senhora da Assunção is a tomb carved into the rock, which is also part of Treixedo’s notable heritage. These landmarks represent different historical traces: a charter, remains from Roman times and an archaeological tomb.

The Pelourinho de Treixedo was classified as an immovable asset of public interest (IIP) by Decree No. 23,122 of 11 October 1933. The former pillory symbolised Treixedo’s previous autonomy, but it has disappeared.

The Ecopista do Dão: Railway Line and River Landscape

The Ecopista do Dão was built on the former branch railway line that connected Santa Comba Dão with Viseu. After the former Dão railway line was closed, the Ecopista officially opened in early July 2011. In the vicinity of Treixedo, a section of the Ecopista runs from the old Treixedo railway station along the River Dão to the Granjal metal bridge. This section differs in its layout from the 9.52-kilometre circular trail.

The Ecopista also runs alongside the river between the railway bridge and Treixedo railway station. Oaks, cork oaks and strawberry trees grow there. The river and tree species give this section a distinctive landscape, while the former railway line explains its historic route. If you include the Ecopista in your trip plans, these are its characteristic local features: its connection to the former railway line, its route along the Dão and the trees mentioned above.

A Stop on the Percurso in Granjal

In the vicinity of Treixedo, the Percurso de Treixedo reaches the Poço do Banho in Granjal. Since 1877, sulphurous therapeutic spring water has been channelled there into a kind of small open-air thermal bath. The site is in Granjal, not Treixedo, so it is a separate point of interest along the circular trail. For orientation, the two routes can be distinguished as follows: the Percurso is a local circular trail with historic points of interest, while the Ecopista follows a former railway line and, in the area described, runs along the River Dão.

For the broader travel overview: Treixedo.