Circular routes with different highlights
The PR5 TNV Fungalvaz is a short, nine-kilometre circular walking route; its stated duration is three hours. It passes through the village area of Fungalvaz and follows the uppermost section of the Ribeira da Beselga. The village and the stretch of river provide two clear points of reference for the route. The Fórnea de Fungalvaz is a remarkable landform: it is roughly circular, about 100 metres wide and 60 metres high.
The PR3 TNV Moinhos da Pena has a different focus. It is also a short, nine-kilometre circular walking route and runs around the notable windmill complex of Moinhos da Pena. The complex comprises four windmills in the Freguesia de Assentiz. The route crosses the Chã da Serra, a plateau between the highlands of the Arrife and the Serra de Aire anticline. Near the PR3, you can see the source of the Ribeira do Alvorão and cross the Arrife escarpment.
Both routes are the same length and are described as circular walks; an additional duration of three hours is given for the PR5. Their themes differ: the PR5 focuses on Fungalvaz and the upper section of the Ribeira da Beselga, while the PR3 focuses on the windmill complex and the plateau. This provides a practical guide when choosing between the two walks. Check local trail conditions before setting out.
Windmills and traces of the past
Moinhos da Pena brings together landscape and former land use. The windmills stand on the hill formerly called Portela da Pena. Their original function was to grind grain. Taken together, their location, the hill’s former name and their use tell different aspects of the story of the complex: its place in the landscape and its role in processing grain.
Fungalvaz also has a historical connection reaching far back in time. The village is considered an ancient settlement that was originally fortified, and may have been a Chalcolithic castle dating from between 2,500 and 1,800 BC. The cautious wording matters: the interpretation as a castle remains only a possibility. This early settlement history therefore differs markedly in date from the later use of the windmills.
Churches and architectural history
The Igreja-matriz de Nossa Senhora da Purificação is the main church of Assentiz and is dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Purificação. The Igreja Paroquial de Assentis is a Mannerist and Baroque parish church; its bell tower is attached to the façade. Inside are a wooden ceiling over the nave, divided into three longitudinal sections, and a wall covering of azulejos with a Neo-Baroque pattern. Since 1758, the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graça has stood on the site of a former hermitage. These details provide different historical and architectural points of reference, from the former hermitage to the described features of the parish church.
Assentiz can thus be explored through specific contrasts: two circular routes of equal length with different landscape highlights, a windmill complex formerly used to grind grain, and churches with distinct historical and architectural features. When planning, you can first decide whether to focus on the routes and landscape or on architectural and settlement history.
Discover more destinations: Zibreira, Ribeira Branca, Torres Novas, Chancelaria
Go to the main travel overview: Torres Novas.
