Description of Experience
The landscape as sustenance and heritage
In the village and on the terraces of Sistelo, every human gesture and agricultural practice reveals the cultural landscape and the heritage of centuries of inhabiting the land..
Sistelo is a cultural landscape shaped by a long history of human presence. Classified as a National Monument and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the village brings together natural beauty and the memory of the practices that have sustained it over time.
Terraces climbing steep slopes, a remote rural setting and the legacy of subsistence farming define this singular place, where landscape and food have always been closely intertwined.
At Casa do Castelo, a short film follows the cycle of corn and bread, revealing field labour, the water mill and the wood-fired oven — essential elements of everyday sustenance in earlier times.
The journey continues in Arcos de Valdevez around a shared meal, in a carefully chosen rural setting, prepared by people engaged in seasonal and environmentally attentive practices. It concludes with a walk through the historic centre, marked by its Baroque religious heritage.
A sensory and interpretive experience, combining presence, reading of the landscape, and cultural heritage, revealing the uniqueness of Sistelo as “a secret that is first revealed from afar” (TF1 – French television).
Experience details
QUICK OVERVIEW
🌿 DURATION: Approx. 7/8 hours
🌳 CONTEXT: Terraces of Sistelo — a territory where stone, water and human gesture meet.
🌿 FOCUS: Cultural landscape, traditional agricultural practices, presence in tune with the place
🌳 TYPE OF EXPERIENCE: Interpretive, sensory and relational walk, reading the cultural landscape and local heritage
🌿 GROUP SIZE: Experience designed for small groups (5 to 8 participants)
🌳 PHYSICAL LEVEL: Moderate - rural paths with natural gradients, pace adjusted to the group
🌿 MEETING POINT: Sistelo, Ponte de Lima, Arcos de Valdevez and Monção
DAY UNFOLDING
● A contemplative walk through Sistelo, with a reading of its cultural landscape
● Interaction with local stories that cross knowledge and ways of life
● Attentive moments that invite you to coexist with territory, beyond mere observation
● A walk through the centre of Arcos de Valdevez unveiling its historical context
● Suitable for those looking for an experience that combines presence, reading the territory and sensitive resonance
WHAT IS INCLUDED
● Territory mediation, led locally
● Transport
● Regional lunch
● Civil liability and personal accident insurance
● VAT
VALUE OF THE EXPERIENCE
● €130 per person
● Small groups (min. 5 / max. 8 participants)
— The price reflects an experience at a human scale, where territory, knowledge, and gastronomy are engaged with time and attention
LUNCH — IMPORTANT NOTES
● Lunch in a private rural setting, inspired by the rhythms of the land and seasonal local produce
● Set menu, shared by the entire group
ESSENCE, TRACES, RHYTHM 🍃
Village - Human Gestures - Tradition - Memory - Terraces
🏡 🌾🌲🌿⛰️
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