Discover Paços Da Serra

Paços da Serra is partly within the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. If you are considering a hotel stay in Paços da Serra, you can base your choice on what interests you locally: traditional building styles, religious architecture, a botanically focused garden or cultural traditions. These themes offer different perspectives on the place; its connection to the natural park provides an additional setting.

Houses and garden

Traditional two-storey houses with granite staircases and wooden balconies are part of Paços da Serra’s architectural character. The combination of two storeys, granite and wood makes this type of house a subject in its own right, alongside individual buildings. If you are interested in local architecture, you can focus on how the materials and building elements work together, rather than putting just one building at the centre of your attention.

The garden of Quintal do Forno is a distinct highlight. It has a remarkable 19th-century botanical collection of cultural value. The garden can be visited year-round by prior appointment; arrange your visit in advance. When planning your trip, you can choose between houses and a specific garden visit as different areas of interest: architectural design on the one hand, botany and the collection on the other.

Church and civic architecture

The Igreja de São Miguel features Mannerist and Baroque architectural elements. Inside, there is a pulpit as well as late-Baroque carved and gilded altarpieces. These details add specific items of interior furnishings to the stylistic context and give the church a distinct character within the local architectural heritage. Those interested in religious architecture can consider both its architectural elements and individual features of its furnishings.

Casa do Oitão is a notable civic building in Paços da Serra. Those interested in civic architecture as well as churches can consider Casa do Oitão as a separate highlight alongside the Igreja de São Miguel.

The references to different periods also provide distinct points of interest: the garden’s botanical collection dates from the 19th century, while the altarpieces in the Igreja de São Miguel are late Baroque. This lets you consider garden culture and church art as two distinct cultural highlights and place them in different historical periods.

Festivals and walking route

Paços da Serra celebrates festivals in honour of Santo Amaro, Senhor do Calvário and Nossa Senhora das Virtudes. In 2025, the third edition of the “Rota das Tabernas” was held there. If you want to plan your trip around one of these events, check the dates for your chosen travel period. The festival traditions and the 2025 edition offer different opportunities to explore local cultural life.

A circular route of about 12 kilometres starts and ends at the Igreja Matriz de S. Miguel. A guided municipal activity took place on this route in 2023. Its approximate length gives you an indication of the scale of that activity at the time. Unlike the architectural and botanical themes, the route is an activity with a specific time reference.

Discover more destinations: Vila Nova de Tazem, Cativelos, Mangualde da Serra, Gouveia, Folgosinho.

Back to the main travel overview: Gouveia.