Stage 6

STAGE 6: BRAGANÇA-VINHAIS


TOURTRIP = 31.25KM

The cultural itinerary of the Portuguese Route to Santiago Vía de la Plata, has its origin in Zamora, through the following capital: Bragança, capital of northeastern Portugal; Orense, capital of southern Galicia; and Santiago, where the pilgrimage ends the Apostle, the route of the fifteenth stage.

Bragança, Concelho, and capital of northeastern Portugal. There historically from the first century, being awarded Foral in 1187, by Sancho I, and in 1464 at the request of D. Fernando (2nd Duke of Bragança), receives from Alfonso V, City forum.

City, who testifies several times, is a monumental wherein the walled defense system highlights. In construction of religious character, stand out in the urban area churches of Santa Maria and San Francisco, San Benito and San Vicente. As a culture, available on all the museums that can be visited with great artistic works.

Trasosmontes region, as related to Zamora, dominates the pilgrimage of this new phase starts in Bragança qe and ends in the heritage city of Vinhais. Almost 29km of road and embedded deep valleys, seasoned with generous nature and watered by rivers Tuela and Baceiro, running between the rich forest areas. Portugal continues to surprise the stranger, and people leave a trail of unmatched hospitality.

Bragança, capital of Montesinho Natural Park, is the starting point of the new phase of the Portuguese Way. After passing through the Rua de Estaçao, Alesandre Rua Faria, Glorieta de Av. Agualdo de Oliveira, Rua Lourenço Marques Nogueira and Rua. At the end of it, the path begins a steep ground. From the beginning the pricipio the way nature is generous with errant. In Spring, jara white and fragrant roses, lavender, poppies, daisies and other species, color narrow valleys that mark the way. Spring Aires accompanying the passage of Walker et up and soften unac featuring the bridge across the highway E-82. Just a few meters and start a new pr ascension path, which leads to the municipal road to be taken to the junction of Douai, continuing to the left, the road to the next intersection of Sabariz, you must turn left which leads to result in Lagomar, where the Church of Santiago to leave the village. It runs along a cobbled path that returns to be steep. The city of Bragança is behind us, about seven miles, but can still be glimpsed thanks to the height that has taken the road and in the distance beyond discovers a big city while the chestnuts begins to peek. The old trees are combined with beautiful meadows. Natural Forest Park stimulates hardness as appealing as unknown way. The journey takes bucolic dyes, punctuated by the trees, cereal fields and valleys that drain into Portela, where neighbors full of courage, to the abandonment of the competent bodies, one day a year devoted his efforts to fix Path lead the people within the local term to which they belong. They are community contributions of the few people that sustain life Portela.

The march between trees and a meadow in east direction is taken up across the road N-1034, accompanying the way serpenteándose in parallel, almost all the way. A rise of a hill with rounded hillock starts, until his coronation 877 meters. First item on the road, second highest. Starting the descent to the village of Castrelos. Leaving aside the Church of San Bernardino of Siena. The journey begins with a descent, the andante, after the constant pursuit of the highest, not in vain in this transmontana region, frequently altitudes between 500 and 900 meters. The road follows the bridge Castrelos, along which the Baceiro River, where a furnace and a mill is observed. From there, a rise followed by a short descent and steep slopes again, this time between starts labor camps. After crossing the aforementioned road again resumed the Montaraz road with beautiful views that provide insight into his steps. In open countryside, full of meadows, interspersed with chestnut “Grossos” with meadows where cattle graze, and is thus entering the transmontano Northeast, as you get to Soeira. Parish in the municipality of Vinhais, where the Church has a singular Home and hornanica save an image of St. James. The departure of Soeira Awarded andante relieving a descent on a path of meadows right and farms work on the left, onto the valleys with chestnut, ash and oak sending along a path of natural appeal . The stage is a gift for the traveler, arriving so to the medieval bridge over the River Tuela, a stream of pure and crystalline water that is heard in the lush riparian vegetation. Tuela Valley is a real find in this step of the way Portuguese, which is surprising for its beauty and humanity of the pilgrim people in its path. Reaches an area of thick jungle vegetation practically, continuing the path shaded by the dense vegetation. You take the road again, after a little tour of the asphalt, take the road to the left, where Vilaverde appears. Having gone through a riverside meadows, the people left behind and continues through meadows leading to cross back to accompanying the way much of the road trip. The paved road up a hill that condue Prada and Paço, to deviate very soon left until seen from above the first houses in the village of Vinhais is taken. The last section is a generous step down until the first streets of the town, Rua Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral. (31.25km).