Karst hole of Mount Serra da Estrela. Serra da Estrela mountains

22.12.2023

If you have the opportunity to drive through these mountains, take your time and choose the most winding road. It is easy to find on the map: it winds like a snake along the slopes of the mountains, taking unimaginable turns, but it also reveals fantastic beauty.

It is especially good in Serra da Estrela in the spring. In clear weather you can see far, far away, and the ground below seems ghostly.

The glaciers left behind not only bizarre rock scatters, but also lakes. They lie in the embrace of rocks and from a distance seem unrealistically blue, as if a piece fell off from the sky and now rests peacefully on the earth, not asking to be returned.

The water in artificial formations is no less beautiful - like this lake behind a formidable dam. You can walk along it and look down, and water splashes behind its wall.

The Madonna looks out from the rocks nearby, guarding the difficult path through the mountains.

Serra da Estrela is far from a deserted place. Not counting tourists and skiers who visit the local resort when a miracle happens and snow falls (and this does not happen every year - after all, it is warm and low), there are many villages, and some of them are very ancient. Whoever was here: the Arabs, the Romans, and the Portuguese themselves know where the best place is.

Local residents find something to keep themselves busy: they grow grapes, from which they then make excellent wine...
...graze sheep (by the way, local shepherd dogs are very smart and loyal creatures, and they make a fairly famous cheese from goat milk)...

And they treat tourists who stop by to see the light with all sorts of delicious things, for example, a lamb chop, fresh and soft, or a cream of a suspicious appearance, but a wonderful taste.

Mount Torre, the highest point of the Serra da Estrela, is a very meditative place. The domes that give it its two-thousand-meter status are similar to old observatories. It is quite possible that this is them.

The mountains lie around in a haze and seem painted on the pale hot sky.

By the way, the roads in Serra da Estrela are good. The main routes are smooth, with excellent markings, so it’s safe to drive on them even in the evening.

But if you decide to take a risk and deviate from the intended path, then difficulties may await you. Make sure you know what you're getting into: some mountain paths are not safe. Somewhere they walk along the edge of an abyss, somewhere they are so narrow that it is impossible to pass on them, and on top of everything else they are full of potholes, so that you are tossed from side to side. The adventure is not for the faint of heart. Although in appearance such a bumpy road may look peaceful, for example like this. But try driving on it!

But the daring ones will be rewarded by being in contact with the real wild nature of Serra da Estrela. Small, calm lakes suddenly appear on the plateau...

Sometimes you come across abandoned buildings, on which, nevertheless, the tiles are bright red.

In some places - very rarely, because this is not exactly her patrimony, but lavender still blooms.

And there is also such a miracle - waterfalls.
This long one is called the Devil's Mouth. There are signs to it, but not all of them can be trusted: some lead not along hiking trails, but through treacherous mountain paths. And yet the result is worth it. The waterfall is noisy, beautiful and surrounded by picturesque rocks.

And on the main roads there are often waterfalls simply falling from the mountains, prudently fenced off so that drivers are not disturbed.

After traveling, you can sit on the terrace of a small roadside restaurant and order a cup of strong local coffee...

And watch how the setting sun gently touches the tops of the mountains.

Serra da Estrela

(Serra da Estrella), mountain range to the west. Iberian Peninsula , continuation of the mountains Center. Cordillera . The highest in Portugal (Estrela, 1991 m). Length approx. 80 km, width up to 25 km. The peaks are rocky, with sharp jagged ridges (serra - literally “saw”). Deep river valleys with steep slopes. It is composed of granites, gneisses, and quartzites. Extraction of tungsten and tin ores. Cool summers, mild winters, precipitation approx. 2500 mm per year. Up to 1500 m areas of pine, oak, chestnut forests. Above are bushes, alpine meadows. Sheep.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Ekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of academician. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

See what "Serra da Estrela" is in other dictionaries:

- (Serra da Estrella) the highest (up to 1991 m) mountain range in Portugal. Mediterranean shrubs, forests, meadows. Deposits of tungsten and tin ores. Natural Park … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Serra da Estrella), the highest (up to 1991 m) mountain range in Portugal. Mediterranean shrubs, forests, meadows. Deposits of tungsten and tin ores. Natural Park. * * * SERRA DA ESTRELA SERRA DA ESTRELA (Serra da Estrella), the highest... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Serra da Estrella) mountain range in central Portugal. Length 80 km, height up to 1991 m (Estrela). It represents the elevated western outskirts of the Meseta (See Meseta). The peaks have smooth outlines; the slopes are steep, very... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

- ... Wikipedia

Serra da Estrela: Serra da Estrela (subregion) is an economic and statistical subregion in central Portugal. Serra da Estrela (mountain range) is a mountain range in Portugal. Serra da Estrela (natural park) natural park, ... ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Serra da Estrela (meanings). Serra da Estrela Serra da Estrela ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Serra da Estrela (meanings). Serra da Estrela port. Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela ... Wikipedia

A mountain range in Portugal, part of the Cordillera Central mountain system, located in the districts of Guarda (mostly) and Castelo Branco. The highest point of the range, Mount Torre (1993 meters), is the highest peak in mainland Portugal and the second highest in the entire country, second only to Ponta do Pico on Pico Island in the Azores. There is a monument at the top of Torre.

The landscapes of the Serra da Estrela were formed during the last glaciation, when the retreating glacier left horseshoe-shaped valleys, smooth landforms, and glacial lakes. The vegetation of the park is distributed according to altitudinal zones and is located in three zones. Below 900m there are broad-leaved forests, between 900 and 1600m there are coniferous forests, and above 1600m there are only meadows, which are a food source for local species of sheep. The Serra da Estrela Mountains are home to many rivers, including the Mondego, the largest river whose course is entirely within Portuguese territory. Part of the territory of Serra da Estrela is part of the natural park of the same name. The only ski resort in Portugal is located in the park.

Pre-Christian ancient legends tell that the Estrela Mountains were created by the gods from huge stones and built in such a way that it would be convenient for shepherds to graze their sheep, and for the gods to descend here to earth from their stars. Hence the name of the mountains - What does Estrela mean? star.

Archaeological research has made it possible to reconstruct the way of life of local residents in the 5th millennium BC. during the Neolithic era, whose main occupations were hunting, gathering and sheep raising. The “shepherds” grazed their flocks in the high mountain pastures in the warm months, and went down to the river valleys in the winter. The importance of the Serra da Estrela mountain range in the Neolithic culture of the Beira region is shown by the megalithic monuments of the Mondego River valley. This is especially noticeable in Carregal do Sal. The ancient dolmens of this region are oriented towards the peaks of the Serra da Estrela. At the place where the brightest star of the constellation Taurus, Aldebaran, rises during the warm season. Its appearance in the sky in April-May meant the transition to summer, and therefore a return to high mountain pastures. Ancient Greek geographers called these mountains “the mountains of Hermes,” the god of trade, who was also the patron saint of shepherds. It was this region that became the birthplace of the famous Lusitanian warrior Viriatus, who opposed Roman rule.

Traces of earlier cultures remain here, for example, the ancient necropolis of São Gens (Necrópole de São Gens). The Roman period is marked by sites such as the Sanctum Sellas near Belmonte and the remains of the Roman road that connected Mérida and Braga (Roman bridge). Arab rule can be traced in the irrigation system.

Modern villages and towns, located in the mountains, are located in the valleys and were founded in the Middle Ages. The most famous of them are the historical villages of Linhares, Belmonte and Piodan, as well as the highest village in Portugal, Sabugueiro, the village of Manteigas, located in the heart of the mountains in the valley of the same name, and the town of Celorico da Beira. It is also interesting to visit the cities of Guarda, Covilhã and Seia.

The main economic sector here is agriculture, mainly pastoralism (goats and sheep). Traditional crafts such as basket weaving, weaving and embroidery are also developed. The main pride of the region is the herding dog breed - .

5 most interesting sights of Serra da Estrela

Top of Mount Torre the highest mountain in continental Portugal - 1993 meters. In winter, snow falls here and there is a ski slope near the top.

2. Rock of Penedo da Sino in the Serra da Estrela mountains is located in the necropolis of the abandoned village of São Gens near the village of Forno Telheiro, which is one of the largest and oldest in the area. The old village was abandoned back in the 10th century and nothing remains of the old buildings. A settlement has existed on this site since Neolithic times.
Photo by Vitor Oliveira

3. Vale do Rossim in the Serra da Estrela mountains covered with snow in winter! The valley is located at an altitude of 1300 meters near the town of Manteigas. Nowadays, most of the valley is occupied by a reservoir formed after the construction of a dam in 1956. The reservoir beach has reached the finals of the national competition of the 7 best beaches in Portugal! It's hard to believe in winter.
Photos Nuno Trindade

4. The famous sculpture Senhora da Boa Estrela is located near the highest point of continental Portugal, Mount Torre, in the town of Covão do Boi. This 7-meter image of the Virgin Mary was carved into the rock in 1946 by the artist António Duarte, and according to legend protects all the shepherds of the Serra da Estrela mountains. It is especially beautiful here in winter, when pure white snow falls on the black rocks.

5. River beach in the village of Luriga(Loriga), which is called “Portuguese Switzerland”. Several small reservoirs are terraced down along the mountain stream to the old Roman bridge.

Portugal is not only languid and relaxed Porto and Lisbon with faded red roofs, not only surfing and secluded beaches. He talks about the mountains of Portugal, which you should definitely include in your route. Alina Adaeva, photographer, guide and creator travel games.

The Serra da Estrela Mountains are located in the national park of the same name in northeastern Portugal. The highest mountain in mainland Portugal - Torre, with a height of only 1993 meters, pastures, fields and vineyards, the only ski resort in the country with natural and artificial snow, the largest rivers Zezeri and Mondego and a network of hiking trails - all this will welcome you with open arms in the mountains Estrela. Feel free to include this place in your Portugal itinerary and don’t forget to take a sweatshirt – it’s much colder in the mountains than near the coast, especially at night.

How to get there?

The Serra da Estrea Natural Park is 300 km from and 190 km from. The closest large settlements to your destination are Guarda and Covilha. The final point is the village of Manteigash, where it is most convenient to start any movement around the natural park. And it won’t hurt to grab a map from the tourist office.

Of course, the ideal option is to get there. Still, you can’t get right to the heart of the natural park by bus. If you have a really hard time with your vehicle, then you shouldn’t be sad for long. From Lisbon to Guarda or Covilha there are both trains (3 times a day for €18) and buses (5 times a day for €15). From these towns to Manteigas, either grab a taxi or use good old hitchhiking.

Where to stay?

When you finally get to Manteigas, you will understand why it was worth the trip if only for its sake. The village lies in a mountain valley, all its houses are painted white and the roofs are bright orange. It looks magical, especially if you look at it from any observation deck (from any higher street) and at dawn.

Finding accommodation in Manteigas will not be a problem for you. There are plenty of options on your favorite Booking. A good option is Casa Das Obras. This is a manor with a history of 250 years, where all the rooms are works of art. The price is disproportionately small compared to the comfort and view from the window that they offer.

Things to do?

Once you’ve settled in Manteigas, don’t sit for a long time with a glass of wine at the window, but put on your most comfortable shoes and go to the tourist office. It is located in the very center of the town on the main road and stop - you won’t get lost. There, take a map of all the walking routes in the park, ask the employees about each and choose according to your taste and color. And don’t even try to walk around everything at once: you’re unlikely to be able to handle all 375 kilometers of hiking trails.

The routes are very diverse. Starting from easy ones of a couple of kilometers and ending with long ones of 2-3 days. The landscape and vegetation on each of them changes every half hour: just have time to follow and take pictures.

Don't miss Mount Torre either. There is a road leading to its top, so you can tick off your personal list of conquered peaks without much effort.

...or 2000m above sea level and the cradle of Portugal - Castelo de Sao Miguel in the first capital of the country, the city of Guimarães.
If you have read previous publications about our Great Portuguese motor rally , then you know that from the magnificent Bussaco Palace we went to Porto. And then suddenly Guimarães and the top of the country in the mountains. Yes, I skipped Porto on purpose, because I left it and Lisbon for a snack, because it’s impossible to talk about them briefly. And so a day later we left Porto early in the morning and headed north to the city of Guimarães. It is about 50 kilometers from Porto and 40 kilometers from the northern border of the country. Guimarães became our highest point of the route and its approximate middle. Next, our crew rushed to the mountain serpentines to cross the Serra da Estrela mountain range, the highest point of which is Mount Torre. It is also the highest point in continental Portugal. Now let's go in order.

The height of Castelo de Sao Miguel, the construction of which began in the 10th century, is 28 meters and consists of eight towers. The fortress was built to protect the city from the conquerors of Mauritania and Normandy, and over time it was supplemented with new buildings and a chapel, which has survived to this day.

This is the cradle of the Portuguese power, the revered national symbol of the country, the Guimarães Castle, which, together with the historical center of the city of Guimarães, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The castle was built in the shape of a heraldic coat of arms. Why is the castle and the city of Guimarães called the cradle of Portugal? The thing is that it was here that Alfonso Henriques won the Battle of Sao Mamede and proclaimed the independence of the county of Portugal from the Kingdom of Leon. Here he was proclaimed the first king not of the county, but of the kingdom of Portugal. From this castle came the royal dynasty, about which you can read in detail in the castle and see the entire family tree of the Portuguese monarchy.

An example of early medieval architecture is the majestic castle Castelo de Sao Miguel located in the Portuguese city of Guimarães. This castle has been recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal, as the walls of this architectural masterpiece witnessed the birth of the culture of this country. Yes, not more, not less, but the history of the castle begins in 959. This year, Countess Mumadona Dias donated a plot of land for the purpose of building a monastery on it, and also in order to protect this monastery from attacks by the Normans, she ordered a castle to be built on the top of the hill. Initially, the castle was a simple structure: a crenellated donjon tower and walls surrounding it.

At the entrance to the castle, on a stone at the base is carved “Here was the birth of the history of the state of Portugal.” Of course, the Portuguese consider the castle very significant. I understand them.

We climb the fortress walls. The construction technology itself is interesting, without the use of mortars. The stones are simply well fitted to each other and have stood that way for more than 1000 years. And from the wall there is a view of Braganza. Yes, just 200 meters to the nearby Braganza Palace, which is distinguished by its unsurpassed architectural style. The palace in the French style was built in 1440-1442 by order of Afonso, the illegitimate son of the Portuguese King João I. By the end of the construction of the palace, Afonso received the title of Duke of Braganza, the palace became his official residence, after the castle became obsolete and became uncomfortable and too small for monarchs. Now important political procedures and ceremonies are held in its luxurious halls. Because the halls have preserved the interior of those years and are a most interesting object for tourists.

Well, we'll go to Braganza a little later. A hundred years after its founding, the castle passed to the king of Castile and Leon - Alfonso VI Henry of Burgundy. Such a gift was gratitude for the services he indicated in the fight against the Arabs. The king settled in this castle with his family, establishing his residence here. As legend has it, Afonso Henriques I, who would later become the first king of Portugal, was born here. The castle was completely rebuilt and significantly expanded, turning into a reliable defensive fortification, and the city of Guimarães was formed around the castle.

Touched history. Damp, cool. Go ahead. After the death of King Alfonso VI Henry of Burgundy, the castle of Guimarães becomes the epicenter of the power struggle that was waged between his son Afonso and his widow Teresa. As we already know, this struggle ended in 1128 with the victory of Afonso’s troops, after which he declared the independence of the county from Castile. The county became an independent kingdom of Portugal. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Watch your step, fall high.

Then, in the next hundred years, heroic battles for the independence and territorial integrity of the young kingdom of Portugal took place more than once on the territory of Guimarães Castle, but by the 15th century the castle ceased to play its military role, since gunpowder was invented and the castle could no longer withstand artillery attacks.

Centuries later, when there was no longer a need for defense, a prison was organized in the castle. And only towards the end of the 19th century, the ruler of the country, Luis the First, gave the castle the status of historical value.

The castle's buildings served as a prison, and one of its towers was dismantled and its building materials were used for a church. And only at the end of the 19th century the restoration of the legendary castle began. In 1881, King Louis issued an order and Guimarães Castle was declared a "historical monument of the 1st class", and about a hundred years later, Guimarães Castle was designated as a national monument of Portugal.

Oh, that's a familiar hat. I'll go and invite you to the Braganza Palace.

Guimarães was the first capital of the country and today remains the symbol of the first major city. And in this very capital there was a royal residence. That's where we headed. And you know, it's like nothing else. A real knight's castle-palace with a preserved interior.

The Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, which is located opposite the chapel of São Miguel do Castelo, was built in the 15th century by the future first Duke of Braganza, Don Alfonso. The facade of the palace is formed by 39 unusual brick pipes and its appearance is reminiscent of the architecture of France at that time, where this style was used in the construction of many palaces and mansions. The pipes are visible from a distance and served their intended purpose, removing smoke from the heating stoves and fireplaces in the halls of the palace.

At one time the palace was used as a military barracks. And during the Salazar dictatorship, it was the official residence of the president. In the middle of the 20th century, after the building stood in disrepair for quite a long time and was greatly damaged by the development of a quarry next to it, restoration work was carried out and the palace became a museum where objects reflecting the lifestyle and interiors of Portugal in the 17th century were put on public display. -XVIII centuries.

Among the museum's exhibits, the collection of Flemish tapestries attracts special attention. They depict scenes of the Portuguese conquest of North Africa, with each tapestry depicting a specific battle. Gorgeous items of enormous size. At first we thought it was for warmth, to insulate the dampness and cold of the stone walls.

In addition to serving as a museum, the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança serves as a museum, its top floor is the official residence of the President of the Portuguese Republic during his official visits to the north of Portugal. It’s even inconvenient to somehow climb there without the owners, and we didn’t climb.

Here you can look at the weapons of bygone years.

Of particular interest is the so-called banquet hall, which is decorated with an unusual wooden ceiling, shaped like the inverted bottom of a ship. It seems to me, or is this a unique technology of Portuguese architects?

Coolest thing! And the lamps imitate burning candles both in terms of glow intensity and appearance. Authentic.

It’s no different that one of the shipbuilders was doing some work at the construction site over the weekend.

View of the courtyard. Braganza is also called the Palace of Chimneys. The main “feature” of the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança (Paço dos Duques de Bragança) is a whole “forest” of thirty-nine tall chimneys on the roof of the palace. This is the first time I've seen this. Interesting.

The museum also displays collections of artistic portraits, porcelain, Persian carpets and furniture of the 17th-18th centuries. They were brought from the colonies.

And here is the king's burial room.

And queens. At the other end of the castle, by the way. How did we figure out where whose bedroom is? The queen has two “beauty bags” near her bed. And the king has chests of drawers for storing bills, documents, maps and plans for world domination.

In a word, the palace is not so beautiful and sophisticated, but very interesting due to its plausibility and simplicity. But an hour later, we leave it and go for a walk around the first capital of Portugal, the city of Guimarães.

It's beautiful, isn't it? Infanta's window.

Around the city of Guimarães there are dense forests and mountain slopes. This city is a great place to relax, but honestly, if you are pressed for time, you can skip it. Although then your idea of the country will not be complete.

Quiet, cozy, calm, provincial.

“Where is everyone?” Ines seems to be asking.

There really aren't many people. No crowding. We look into the cathedral. Again, the “carabel” ceiling and large stone masonry walls. Rough but monumental.

As far as I understand, this is the monastery that guarded the castle.

The city as a whole is not big. A couple of hours were enough for us to get acquainted with the cradle of Portuguese statehood.

Having made a circle, we walk past Braganza to the car. You can see protruding balconies on the right side of the castle. 15th century toilets.

Another view of the palace - residence.

There is a park around Braganza and the castle.

This is what Guimarães is like. And don’t be fooled by the photographs of the high cascading staircase that is attributed to this city. There, the staircase-story is located in neighboring Braga. Keep in mind. And these are already vineyards on the way to the mountains.

We make a minute stop near a once beautiful example of Portuguese architecture. Nowadays, only a couple of walls remain from the palace in the mountains.

Empty window sockets and coats of arms on the facade.

A window with benches typical of castle-palaces. This is Obras do Fidalgo with coordinates 41.2106, - 8.1909

On this day I shot most of the time through the windshield. I didn’t lean out the window because we were driving at speeds above 150 km/h and my hand with the camera was simply torn off. I tried it once. and the landscape was changing rapidly and I wanted to remember at least something on the card.

I apologize for the glare and reflections on the glass, but I had to take it off. Somewhere there is an ocean a hundred kilometers away. We descend from the northern border through the central and eastern parts of the country.

We go down the map. but actually we rise. All the hillsides are cut with steps of vineyards. This is the region where the Roses Rubies a la Port grapes are grown.

Desert highway of excellent quality.

All the mountain roads are buried in blooming mimosa... I picked a branch.

Whether long or short, we arrive at the Serra da Estrela National Natural Park. This is a mountain range that crosses the entire country.

At the very border of the park is the microscopic town of Lapados Dinheiros. There is one interesting object here. so we leave the highway and climb into the town along the steepest and narrow streets. When it becomes clear that our BMW will not fit into the turn, we abandon the car and walk another 300 meters.

This is Jesus Sagrado. Interesting coordinates for this place: 40.3788, -7.707. And ahead we can see the mountains of the Sierra and Estrela, where we will now go along that ribbon of road. After the city of Viseu the route ended and the usual road began.

The place is so beautiful and peaceful that I made it the title photo of the post.

We got here, people! It’s so beautiful here that you don’t want to leave. A stream with drinking water flows down from the mountains. I'm getting water at five. Somehow we squeeze through the streets of the town back to the road.

And literally half an hour later we find ourselves in the kingdom of clouds. The road goes up a lot.

Heavy cold clouds hung over Torre. The temperature drops from 20 to zero.

Black and yellow poles begin to appear along the road. These are markers marking the edge of the road in winter, when the mountains are covered with snow several meters deep.

The only things better than mountains are mountains (c) further in the text. Vladimir Semenovich was right.

Nature is changing. One and a half kilometers, and the bush disappears.

And at an altitude of 1650 meters we enter the cloud. Visibility becomes about 10 meters.

Huge pieces of cloud, the size of a small house, rush past at the speed of an courier train. Humid and very cold. It feels like minus five to seven. The machine display shows zero.

And at an altitude of 1800 meters we already see non-melting snow. Yes, yes, the end of March in warm and sunny Portugal, there is still snow.

There is also a ski resort in Portugal. To be honest, I still didn’t even suspect it. Its center is our goal - Mount Torre Serra da Estrela

Well, here is the roof of Portugal. There is a network of signposted trails throughout the park that will take you along different paths past natural wonders such as the largest glacial valley in Europe, which stretches for 13 km and is called Zezere, as well as rivers, waterfalls, mountain streams, natural hot springs and glacial lagoons of Comprida and Escura.

Serra da Estrela (port. Serra da Estrela) is a mountain range in Portugal, part of the Cordillera Central mountain system
The highest point of the range, Mount Torre, is the highest peak in mainland Portugal and the second highest in the entire country, second only to Ponta do Pico on Pico Island in the Azores. There is a monument at the top of Torre. Location coordinates: 40.3222, -7.6127.

Next to the monument, on the top, are two domes of an abandoned observatory. The height of Mount Torre itself is 1993 meters. Some king (can you remember them all) wanted the height to become a round number and he ordered a tower 7 meters high to be built here. So the highest point of Portugal became two thousand meters. Hurray! The pass has been taken.

We arrived there, the wind rocks the car, hits the doors, as if trying to break in. We didn’t have any beautiful views from the top; Inesa was afraid to get out of the car because the door was not easy to open. I got out and ran to film the observatory. Just a second ago there was a clearing, and after a few seconds a squall with fog arrives. A cloud the size of a stadium rushes past, obscuring everything around it. I stiffen my fingers, and my whole body, to the point of fainting. It feels like minus 10, although it’s only half a degree below zero. Moisture and wind are doing their job. I run back to the car and... don't find her. And the cold has already specifically twisted my limbs.

In a panic, I rush to the tourist center-shop and notice our car at the entrance. Nesya moved and went to the store. I'm gradually thawing. I'm wearing a T-shirt and an unlined summer jacket. And the store smells awfully of smoked hams, fresh bread and cheese. The mountains of Portugal are not wine, they are cheese and wild boar sausage.

We couldn’t leave there without a kilogram of all kinds of cuts. They also grabbed some goat cheese. Looking ahead, I will say that this was the most delicious cheese of my life.

The guy carefully cut us 4 types of meat with a knife. This was our lunch and dinner that day.

We bought a huge loaf of gray fresh bread and jumped into the car swaying in the wind. I didn’t have time to record 1993 meters before I buckled up and took out my camera. All that remains is to get to Fundan to our spa hotel. You can't see a thing when a piece of cloud flies in and the car is enveloped in an icy fog.

And then suddenly the sky opens up, and you don’t drive blindly for a whole minute. There are snowdrifts on the right. There are 3-meter poles along the road. They say it sweeps here a couple of meters.

It’s about 30 kilometers to Fundan, no more. We roll down the mountains, admiring the scenery outside the window.

The Serra da Estrela Mountains are home to many rivers, including the Mondego, the largest river whose course is entirely within Portuguese territory.

Serra da Estrela is the land of the former dominion of glaciers, which, descending along the heaving slopes, left behind a bizarre landscape. Sometimes the mountains seem to be strewn with small and large stones, sometimes you come across smooth boulders the size of a house. It looks as if the giant scattered blocks of stone, but did not dare to collect them.

At the exit from the pass, a kilometer from Torre Serra da Estrela, we stop for “lunch” near Senora Boa Estrela. This sculpture is carved into the rock and has a height of 7 meters. The protector and patroness of these places.

The car is warm and cozy. We poured ourselves some port and enjoyed the Portuguese delicacies. Wild boar sausage, salted pork, spicy dry sausage, cheese and warm bread.

As you can see, the road through the pass is very good. The place is a must visit, in my opinion. The views from the serpanine are amazing.

But of course you need to be careful. The turns are sharp, clouds come unexpectedly and hide them for several minutes.

And when running out to “look”, you have to be careful. Almost all places with beautiful views have crosses. People fall carelessly from heights into the abyss. You can’t see it here, but in fact it’s 50 meters down to a plateau with an artificial lake.

Still above the clouds.

Because of the serpentine road, the road to Fundan is three times longer than on the plain.

This is, of course, not the “Troll Staircase” in Norway or the road to the Roof of Norway, but it’s also a spin. Fortunately, there is no one to leave with.

Goodbye Torre, we'll go and warm up in the sauna at the Fundana Hotel.

How I love this view, the harsh beauty, so atypical for the landscapes of Portugal.

This is such a place. I'm not lying.

In general, the road to Fundan took an hour; it was impossible to gain speed in the fog in the mountains. As a prize, an empty pool, sauna and jacuzzi awaited us. We warmed up in the steam room, swam and went to bed. Tomorrow, as usual, we’ll get up at seven and rush to new impressions. And about them in the next photo report.