In the Heart of Portugal: Hiking Around Serra da Estrela

When you think of a vacation in Portugal, you picture golden sandy beaches, steep cliffs, and crashing Atlantic waves. But in addition to 850 kilometers of coastline, the southwesternmost country in Europe boasts an almost untouched mountainous landscape, especially in the center of Portugal. Blogger Alexandra explored the rugged hinterland of 'Centro de Portugal'. She hiked through granite glacier landscapes, stumbled upon Portugal's only ski slope, medieval villages, and design hotels steeped in history. Since then, she has been hooked on the spicy mountain cheese from Serra da Estrela.

The Belle Époque-style houses seem somewhat out of place, clinging to the rugged cliffs. Rust red, pale green, light yellow, all with large mullioned windows and porches, built in the late 19th century. The chalets served as a refuge for tuberculosis patients who hoped to heal up here at 1,500 meters. The Portuguese doctor Sousa Martins discovered at the time that the air in Penhas Douradas - the scenic spot in Serra da Estrela - is particularly pure.

The air is fresh, ideal weather for a hike in the 'Star Mountains'. The climb through the dense birch forest gets my lungs working hard, but upon reaching the plateau, my breath finds its rhythm. I would find completely different colors in the mountains than at the coast of Centro de Portugal, Filipe had said earlier. Due to the granite and slate, everything appears grayish and brownish. While it sounds monotonous, it feels incredibly calming and somehow cozy, despite the almost black, spherical granite boulders on either side of the trail and the jagged rocks that rise before us into a spectacular silhouette. No trace of bleakness: The soft, sandy ground is covered in a sea of bushes and shrubs with orange juniper berries, yellow broom, and purple heather.

If we keep going straight, we will eventually reach Torre, the highest peak of Serra da Estrela at just under 2,000 meters, says hiking guide Luís. Eventually - this vague time calculation turns out to be 16 hours. So we'll save the highest point of continental Portugal for another day. There's also a paved road leading there, where the Portuguese ski in the winter. Today, we'll stick to a five-hour circular hike. The trail gently ascends, we climb through rock crevices, gaze over the shimmering lake, and find the perfect picnic spot - a house carved out of rock. It was built by a civilization-weary judge, Luís tells us. Today it's sometimes used by shepherds or hikers as a rain shelter.

The clouds that just moments ago looked so harmless have gathered, and thick raindrops are pouring from the sky. The weather can change rapidly in Serra da Estrela. We quickly pack up the picnic leftovers. The thought of a sauna session and a hot shower spurs us on to move a bit faster.

The Casa das Penhas Douradas is the perfect place to relax after hiking. Order a strong, black coffee, snuggle into one of the curved armchairs, and simply stare at the mountain panorama through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Add a few crackers with homemade pumpkin jam and this irresistible Queijo da Serra da Estrela, a soft mountain cheese made from sheep's milk. It is said to be particularly aromatic because the sheep graze here solely on mountain grasses and herbs.

The Casa das Penhas Douradas is a design jewel that combines Nordic elegance with retro charm and cabin ambiance. It stands on the ruins of a former sanatorium. The cube-shaped extension where I stay is clad in cork on the outside. The walls and furniture are made of birch wood, with armchairs and sofas upholstered in thick, colorful felt. Everywhere you find design pieces from the 1950s and 1960s, alongside old wooden skis and sleds.

This charming mountain hotel is the brainchild of Lisbon natives João Costa Tomás and Isabel Costa, who left their careers as a lawyer and manager to realize a dream in Penhas Douradas. In 2018, they added a second hotel, the Casa de São Lourenço. From a pousada dating back to 1940 above Monteigas, they have created the only five-star hotel in Serra da Estrela. On a tour, I feel like I am once again in interior design heaven. Equally heavenly is the creamy risotto with octopus that we enjoy in the panoramic restaurant overlooking the Zêzere Valley. It's a full moon, and the stars are visible. Hundreds of flowers made from a loden-like felt hang from the restaurant ceiling.

We have stayed in Belmonte at the Pousada Convento de Belmonte. The name indicates the reason: the hotel used to be a monastery. It has a pool overlooking the Serra da Estrela and an excellent kitchen.

Burel, a felted fabric made from sheep's wool, has a centuries-old tradition in the mountains of central Portugal. In the past, primarily capes for shepherds were produced from this water-repellent, insulating material. Nearly every village had a wool factory. One such factory is located in Monteigas. After standing still for decades, the looms are now rattling again. The oldest machine is well over 100 years old, Cíntia explains, who guides us through the Burel Factory and shows us the worn books with the yellowed sample cards that are still used for current production.

As old-fashioned as the factory seems, what is produced here is very contemporary. Tapestries, rugs, jackets, bags, backpacks in bright yellow, vibrant turquoise, smocked, and pleated, all designed by young Portuguese designers. The fact that Burel is experiencing a renaissance today and is sold as far as Japan is thanks to João and Isabel, the owners of the two mountain hotels, who brought the factory back to life in 2010. I can hardly stop myself from buying half of the showroom.

Instead of slipping into Chelsea boots made of Burel, I put my hiking shoes back on. There are 375 kilometers of marked hiking trails in Serra da Estrela National Park. Today we tackle the Rota de Caniça, the Reed Route. The eight-kilometer circular trail starts in Lapa dos Dinheiros, a village on the southwest side of Serra da Estrela. From the river beach, it ascends through chestnut and oak forests, along a stream to a rock formation resembling devil's horns, and further to the Quedas da Caniça. It's said that 400 bats live in the cave behind these waterfalls. Everywhere, juniper bushes can be found, which are used to make a gin-like spirit. 'And that was long before gin became a hipster thing,' laughs Célia. Célia is the head and soul of the Aldeias de Montanha, an initiative dedicated to preserving traditions in the mountain villages of Serra da Estrela and created a network of 15 designated hiking routes.

Célia says that long lunches are part of the traditions in the mountains of central Portugal. We take ours at Casa Vicente Loriga. Overlooking the white houses of Loriga, which was once also a center of the textile industry, we indulge in braised lamb. For starters, we enjoy mountain cheese with Broa, a typical corn bread from the region. The sweet finale: Bolo Negro de Loriga, a dark cinnamon cake.

By the way, the best view of Loriga can be found near the river beach of Loriga. Such beaches, Praia Fluvial in Portuguese, where the mountain streams cascade over waterfalls into natural pools, can be found all over Serra da Estrela. Serpentine after serpentine, we drive down and back up through glacier valleys, where villages like Loriga cling to the green slopes. Between Alvoco da Serra and Barriosa, we make a stop. Right at Praia Fluvial Poço da Broca lies the restaurant Guarda Rios: it's gin o'clock.

We leave Serra da Estrela and drive east until we are almost at the Spanish border. Our destination is Belmonte, a 45-minute drive from Manteigas. You can also hike from Manteigas to Belmonte via the GR33 long-distance hiking trail or even from Penhas Douradas. However, for the 40 kilometers from there, you need to allocate ten hours.

Belmonte is located in Serra da Esperança. We head for the Aldeias Históricas de Portugal, which include twelve villages that are architecturally and historically significant and are connected by the GR22 long-distance hiking trail. For the Portuguese, Belmonte is truly a special place. Pedro Álvares Cabral, the seafarer who discovered Brazil, was born here. It is also home to one of the last crypto-Jewish communities on the Iberian Peninsula. During the Inquisition, many Jews were forcibly converted to Christianity, but they continued to practice their customs in secret for nearly 500 years. Only in 1989 did the Sephardim in Belmonte establish a new Jewish community. At the Jewish Museum, we learn more about this fateful history. We stroll through Rua da Fonte da Rosa and Rua Direita, where the medieval Jewish quarter extended, passing a white building with a red door - the new synagogue Beth Eliahu.

Over Roman roads and shepherd paths, you can bike or hike from Belmonte to the nearby Sortelha, 20 kilometers away. Sortelha also belongs to the twelve historical villages and is located on a granite plateau next to Serra de Opa. Behind the thick city walls of the medieval settlement lives only one person today, an elderly lady. We climb the weathered steps of the castle ruin up onto the fortress wall. From here, you have the best view of the granite houses with red roofs.

Hotel in Belmonte: We stayed at the Pousada Convento de Belmonte. The room names are after Franciscan monks for a good reason: the hotel used to be a monastery. It has a pool with a view of Serra da Estrela and excellent cuisine.

For those who wish to indulge in further cultural and culinary delights after a hiking vacation in central Portugal, a stay in Porto should be added on the return trip, specifically in Viseu. Viseu is the oldest city in Centro de Portugal and known for its church art, as Fátima, an archaeologist and walking history encyclopedia, explains to us. She shows us the most important sights of Viseu, including the cathedral, the Igreja de Misericórdia with its baroque portal, the Grão Vasco Museum, and the old town streets lined with manuline-style houses. Additionally, there is a wealth of street art, many squares with cafes, and blue-and-white azulejos. Through never ending, you can book historical city tours with Fátima.

Viseu is located in the Dão Valley, the second oldest wine region of Portugal. Thanks to the granite and sandy soils and the protection of the surrounding mountain ranges, particularly intensely flavored grapes thrive here. The Quinta de Lemos vineyard, located 20 minutes by car from Viseu, is dedicated to producing modern wines from traditional grape varieties. Located above the vineyards is the estate's restaurant, Mesa de Lemos, where you can taste wines like Dona Georgina, Dona Paulette, and Dona Louise during an excellent 7-course menu. The award-winning wines are named after the women of the Lemos family, who run the vineyard. Cherry flavors, strawberry notes, honey, eucalyptus, orange, vanilla - we encounter a true explosion of flavors, just like with the chef's menu from Chef Diogo Rocha.

Those who want to burn off a few calories can hop on a bike. Close to Mesa Lema is one of the most beautiful biking routes in the Dão region, the Ecotrack do Dão, which connects Viseu with the towns of Tondela and Santa Comba Dão. Spanning 47.5 kilometers, the Ecopista do Dão runs along a former railway line, passing vineyards, decommissioned railway stations, and small towns, crossing a bridge constructed by Gustave Eiffel. Guided biking tours including transfer are offered by A2Z Walking & Biking.

Restaurant in Viseu: Traditional dishes from the Dão region with a view of the cathedral are available at the Muralhas da Sé. You should try the wine-braised veal with Migas, which are beans with cornbread and cabbage, and the meringues invented by nuns called Baisers Casthana de Oves de Viseu.

Hotel in Viseu: We stayed in Viseu at the Pousada de Viseu. The address - Rua do Hospital - already reveals it: the hotel is housed in a former hospital. Instead of hospital charm, you will find luxurious suites and a light courtyard lined with cloisters that houses a restaurant.