Chaves

An extensive green area on the east side of the Tâmega River between the Engenheiro Carmona Bridge and the Public Gardens that is open to the public. It has a playground, pedestrian and cycling paths, and a large grassy area. An ultra-modern pedestrian bridge will soon be open linking the park of the hot springs and this new recreational area. A cycling and walking path on both banks of the river extends north for several kilometers.

The 14th-century castle was constructed in the reign of King Don Dinis, but today only the keep tower remains.

National Monument

Strongly protected by the defence of the border with Galicia, by the Middle Ages Chaves became unprotected. It had to fortify itself, garrison the nearby hilltops, in order to keep them from being occupied by enemy artillery. The first to be considered was the hill of Pedisqueira, where there was a Franciscan convent. During the final phase of the Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668), the decision was made to build a fort according to the modern concepts of military engineering. This fort played an important role in the Napoleonic invasion of Portugal in 1807, when it was captured by Marshal Soult, and then retaken when a light garrison was left to guard it. It was also the scene of several pro-royalist revolts in the early eighteenth century and later in 1910. The fort is based on the Vauban system, with a four-pointed star, each one serving as a lookout tower. The walls are all of granite, with about 1 m of thickness. The height varies according to the slope of the terrain, but the maximum point has 20 m. The main entrance faces the south, with a drawbridge over the moat, that no longer exists. There are other gates, to the east and west. To go inside, follow a tunnel that leads to the center of the fort. Inside, there is the old church of São Francisco, where for three centuries lay the sarcophagus of the first Duke of Bragança.