Eirado: Source of the Dão, Cultural Heritage and the Míscaros Festival

Eirado offers several themes to explore during a stay: the Percurso do Dão, architectural and cultural heritage sites, and seasonal events. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on the landscape, architecture or a particular event date.

Landscape and the source of the Dão

The source of the Rio Dão is in Barranha, a locality within the Eirado parish. The Percurso do Dão begins in the village, between two granite slabs at the spot traditionally regarded for centuries as the source of the Dão. From there, the trail passes through a small pine forest to the Capela do Senhor do Castelinho and offers views of the mountain ranges to the east. Both its traditional connection to the river’s source and its woodland and mountain views define the route.

Architectural heritage and local landmarks

The Capela do Senhor do Castelinho was built in 1734 and has a granite porch with eight carved pillars. An image is carved into a granite slab at the site. Granite is therefore used both in the construction of the porch and in the image carved into the rock. The eight pillars give the building a distinct architectural structure, while the carved image shows a different way of working with the same material. If you are interested in architectural forms, the chapel offers a clear comparison between a constructed porch and a worked granite slab.

A sculpted face representing Eirado is located at the corner of Rua Torta. The heritage of the Eirado parish also includes the Igreja Matriz, Penedo da Sela and the Chafariz of Eirado. In Eirado, a typical cobbled lane leads to a square with plenty to see. The face at the street corner makes a different statement from the named heritage sites: it represents Eirado itself.

Seasonal events and the Míscaros Festival

An outdoor Mass is held every year on 15 August at the Capela de Santo Amaro in Eirado. It is a specific date to bear in mind when planning your trip.

At “Vamos aos Míscaros,” participants can gather míscaros together with local foragers. The programme includes a communal lunch featuring the traditional arroz de míscaros and other specialities, a traditional magusto, musical entertainment and a market selling local products. The festival is usually held on the first Sunday in November in Barranha, in the Eirado parish within the municipality of Aguiar da Beira.

The outdoor Mass in August and the Míscaros Festival in November offer different experiences: a religious occasion on the one hand, and a programme of foraging, food, music and a market on the other. If you want to plan your trip around either date, confirm the exact event date locally in advance.

Discover more destinations: Aguiar Da Beira, Pinheiro, Cortiçada.

Go to the main travel overview: Aguiar Da Beira.