Alvite: Plateau, History and Culture

Alvite brings together a seasonally changing plateau with archaeological and cultural themes. For planning your trip, there are specific points of reference: the colors of spring blossoms, the winter snow cover, the Estátua-Menir, as well as festive days and historical depictions.

The Plateau Through the Seasons

In spring, the plateau changes from green to violet and white as the Urgueiras bloom, and finally to yellow as the broom plants flower. This succession gives the spring landscape several successive splashes of color rather than a single flowering display. In winter, frost and snow cover the plateau with a white layer. This gives you two clearly distinct landscape impressions to choose from when planning your trip: the sequence of blossoms described for spring and the winter blanket of frost and snow. If you plan your stay around the landscape, you can choose between the changing colors of spring and winter’s white covering.

Archaeological and Historical Connections

One archaeological point of interest is the Estátua-Menir de Alvite in Quinta dos Caetanos. It is dated approximately to the Chalcolithic or Early Bronze Age, between the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. This approximate dating places the monument in a very distant period.

Historical photographs from 1966 show women in Alvite spinning flax in front of their homes. A procession and the threshing of corn are also shown. The scenes range from flax-spinning outside the home to a procession and agricultural work. During a visit to Alvite, a mountaineering group toured the Casa-Museu, where women from Alvite gave a live demonstration of how Caturnos are made. The themes therefore span different periods: an approximate prehistoric dating and specific photographs from 1966.

Festivals and Traditional Foods

The Santo Amaro festival is celebrated in Alvite on January 15. The celebration of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda is associated with the end of May. Thus, a specific day in January and a period in May are two distinct points on the calendar.

At one edition of the Feira de Tradições de Alvite, a traditional dinner was served in a typical tavern: broths, assorted meats, sausages and cured meats, Bola tradicional, and sweet Milhos. At the 2019 IX Feira de Caça e do Espaço Rural da Nave, a hunting training ground was open on both days of the event and could be used by registering in advance.

Walking Route and Road Connections

The Rota da Serra – PR2 MBR walking route passes through Alvite. If walking is one of your travel interests, it provides a specific reference point for planning. Several roads connect Alvite with the municipalities of Tarouca and Vila Nova de Paiva. These details address different planning needs: the route is a walking reference through Alvite, while the roads identify the connections to the two municipalities.

Discover more destinations: Moimenta Da Beira, Vilar, Leomil, Paradinha, Caria.

Return to the main travel overview: Moimenta Da Beira.