Field trip to Lousã Mountains [Portugal] - Part 1 - Schist villages of Lousã [Gondramaz]

'Hidden between mountain slopes of leafy vegetation, the schist villages are one of our best-kept secrets.' ^[1]

They're called schist villages because this is the stone used in the construction of houses and for paving the narrow winding streets, which is abundant in the region.

_{Gondramaz village}

Until relatively recently, the villages had been abandoned as the younger inhabitants migrated to towns with job prospects and the elderly population gradually passed away.

Nestled in the hills of central Portugal, you'll find a magical world, where times passes more slowly

Much of their charm is in the pure nature that you can discover on foot following the "Schist path"!

The 27 tiny villages, scattered across the Lousã and Açor ranges with cottages made of rust-coloured slate, are part of a project of sustainable regional development led by ADXTUR in partnership with 21 municipalities of the Centre of Portugal and more than 100 private operators.

As the main objectives of the Schist Villages Network are the preservation and promotion of the cultural landscape of the territory and the enhancement of the architectural heritage, many of the little houses have been carefully restored and rebuilt using traditional methods and materials.
Traditional arts and crafts have being renewed and promoted too.

Gondramaz

I went on a 1-day field trip to Lousã Mountains to visit some schist villages and more...

But for now, I'll share some photos and impressions of Gondramaz schist village.

When reaching the village it's possible to see fruit trees

...oak trees (my favorites) or chestnut trees!

Schist villages looks like this

Beco' means alley and 'Tintol' is a portuguese jargon for red wine.

I went through the alley but didn't find any wine ;)

and some particularities...

onions and bay leafs on the front door! (Why? I've no idea...)

Umbilicus rupestris (penny-pies, wall pennywort, or in portuguese 'umbigo-de-vénus') on the rocky walls.

The local chapel...

The ancient 'washing machine'...

and very narrow streets!!

(It's not my best photo, but I wanted to catch my mother on the back without being noticed!)

Some art crafts (cool, aren't they?!)

This must be the house of the craftsman!

Unfortunately, it was closed, but at least I found a real cat in the village!

Gondramaz surroundings

The portuguese kale is now giving green sprouts, which are also great to eat!

Plum tree flowers, so beautiful!

The various shades of this rock mingle seamlessly into the colors of the natural landscape, and it is not always easy to distinguish them. But it’s worth a try.

Can you see the small yellow spot?? Well, it's an invasive plant, Acacia dealbata. I'll write about it on my 'Field trip to Lousã Mountains [Portugal] - Part 3' post! (Stay tuned!)

In the end of our visiting the sun was shining!

What a great morning!!

On my next post ...

Field trip to Lousã Mountains [Portugal] - Part 2 - Lunch at Burgo's restaurant [Lousã Castle]

Stay tuned​​!!

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Sources:

[1] - www.visitportugal.com

[2] - www.centerofportugal.com

[3] - Aldeias do xisto

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BADGES Courtesy of @elyaque