In Vila Nova de Tazem, churches, museums, ethnographic heritage and a walking route featuring wine-growing and religious cultural sites offer different perspectives on the area. There is also a slow-cooked dish made with lamb and white wine, as well as customs associated with Santo António and transhumance. If you are planning a trip focused on culture, local history and a specific hiking option, you can shape your stay around these different interests.

Churches, Museums and Local History

A stroll through the streets of Vila Nova de Tazem takes you past buildings with wooden eaves and granite balconies. The Igreja Matriz de Vila Nova de Tazém is a notable landmark in the area’s architectural history. It is a historicist church in the Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic styles. Built between 1894 and 1903, it was restored at the end of the 20th century. Here, you can explore architecture and local history while taking in different phases of construction and restoration.

The museums also offer distinct thematic perspectives. The Museu Paroquial de Arte Sacra is located in the Capela de São Bartolomeu, and Vila Nova de Tazem is also home to the Museu dos Rádios Antigos. The Museu Etnográfico de Vila Nova de Tazém was established in the former school building in 1990 or 1991. Sacred art, vintage radios and ethnographic history thus provide different themes for exploring the area. Check visiting arrangements before going to a museum.

Religious Heritage and Special Places

The municipality of Vila Nova de Tazem has 26 Alminhas, part of its ethnographic and religious heritage. They are found on the façades of houses and on walls in the town and in the villages of Tazem and Paçoinhos. Their distribution ties this heritage to specific buildings and places within the municipality.

Among Vila Nova de Tazem’s places of tourist interest is the Penedo Oscilante. Another distinctive structure is the Cadeirão da Quinta do Pé do Coelho: carved entirely from a block of granite, it sits on a plateau overlooking the valley of the Ribeira de Girabolhos. The Teixugueira–Parigueira section in Vila Nova de Tazem is also considered evidence of regional life and activity during Roman times. Together, these places offer different reasons to explore the area’s religious heritage, landscape and history.

Hiking, Local Cuisine and Traditions

For a hike, the PR6 GVA – Route of the Alminhas is an option with a clearly stated distance: the circular route is 17.5 kilometres long and takes in wine-growing and religious cultural sites. Its length helps you gauge the scale of the hike when planning your trip. You can treat it as a separate activity from a stroll through the town’s streets.

One local culinary highlight is Alambicada, a dish made with lamb and white wine. Traditionally, it is slow-cooked in an iron pot. Founded in 1954, the Adega Cooperativa Vila Nova de Tazem adds the history of wine-growing to the picture of local food culture. This lets you explore cuisine and wine alongside the area’s cultural and historical attractions.

Festivals and a Romaria are held in Vila Nova de Tazem in honour of Santo António. The annual transhumance, organised in collaboration with the Município de Gouveia and the Junta de Freguesia de Vila Nova de Tazem, offers another way to experience local traditions: visitors can accompany the herd on its return after its summer journey. Dates and registration requirements vary. If you would like to take part, check the details for the relevant edition.

Discover more destinations: Cativelos, Paços Da Serra, Folgosinho, Mangualde da Serra, Gouveia.

Return to the main travel guide: Gouveia.