Mondim de Basto

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Situated on the border between the regions of Minho and Trás-os-Montes, between the mountain ranges of Marão and Alvão and bathed by the rivers Tâmega, Ôlo and Cabril, Mondim de Basto county therefore combines Minho characteristics, as the lush vegetation and the vinho verde, and Trás-os-Montes traces, like the mountains and the gastronomy. The Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Graça, a scene of famous pilgrimages, rests on top of the more than 900 metres high Monte Farinha, which, like a volcano and overlooking the town of Mondim de Basto, hosts, in addition to constitute one of the most spectacular sights in the region, some of the most demanding Rally de Portugal stages and of Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta. And, speaking of landscape, it is also worth mentioning the road linking Vila Real to its county seat, in particular Alto do Velão, which offers superb views of dense forests interrupted by towering rocky outcrops and water lines, whose valleys are home to typical villages. The eastern part of the municipality integrates the Alvão Natural Park which, with its ecological and ethnographic richness, offers us beautiful and breathtaking landscapes. Allied to this genuine rurality, there are manifestations of these peoples' traditions shown in crafts, such as the flax and tow weaving, the carpets, the wooden clogs, the baskets, the cooperage or stoneworks. The local folklore lives from the music, with ranches and ukuleles groups that enliven the spirit. After the feast of the town, celebrated by each town in its own way and from which stand out the Procissão do Corpo de Deus, a solemnity of medieval inspiration, and the Festas do Concelho in July, inebriate the senses with the roast goat and veal accompanied by the indispensable arroz de forno (oven rice). To be served with a good vinho verde, that also sweetens the taste with the typical pão-de-ló (kind of sponge cake), cavacas (brandy sweets with an egg white coating) or the rosquilhos. The county kept its rural and agricultural trait over the centuries, that still characterizes it, although it is now focused on modernity and on the establishment of industry, trade and services, as well as on the youth population. Thus, it has won some urban dynamics in recent years with animation on the weekends with the joy and irreverence of the terraces, crowded bars and nightclubs, where young people meet and have fun in the nightlife.