The town was granted royal status by Dom Manuel, who gave it a new charter in 1510, and it was also a land of discoverers. Prince Henry the Navigator was given the title Lord of Covilhã by his father, King Dom João I, after conquering Ceuta in 1415. The oldest part of town occupies the high ground a brisk climb up from the bus and railway station. The walk to the old town centre will take you past the Universidade de Beira Interior and the Museu de Lanificios. The heart of the old town is the Praça do Municipio where urban buses terminate, including those with services to the bus station. Standing in front of the city hall is a statue of Pêro de Covilhã whose quest to locate the legendary Prester John in Ethiopia in 1487 ended in tragedy. The Museu de Arte e Cultura is located close by and exhibits both modern and classical Portuguese art.

Capela de São Martinho

The little Romanesque chapel of São Martinho was built in the 12th or 13th Century and is Covilhã's oldest church. Through the double-arched semi-circular portal one finds stylised capitals with their vegetable motifs, traces of fresco painting with representations of holy figures on the altar tables, suggesting medieval decoration, and the Hispano-Arabesque azulejo tiles laid down in the 16th century. Here too are two precious panel paintings, representing St Christopher and St Lawrence, which belong to the treasury of the Chapel of São Martinho.
Rua Marquês de Ávila e Bolama 44, Covilhã, Portugal. | 40° 16' 40.4" N | 07° 30' 28.4" W

Behind the Praça do Municipio is a flight of steps that leads to a small square that contains the 16th-century Igreja de Santa Maria church. The ornate azulejos tiles that cover its façade were added in the 1940s. The tiles depict various scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, the patron of the church. The church itself dates back to the 16th-Century when it was known as the Capela de Santa Maria do Castelo. Following reconstruction work between 1872 to 1876 the church obtains a Baroque appearance.

Inside the single nave, you can find a few paintings by São Francisco de Sales and Santa Teresa de Jesus, as well as the Relic of the Holy Cross, donated to the Chapel of Santa Cruz by Dom Luís. There are eleven altars, five of which are dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The buildings in close proximity to the church had received a more contemporary makeover and sport some controversial murals. At least the colours match the church.

Rua da Senhora da Paciência 1, 200-138 Covilhã, Portugal. | 40° 16' 49.4" N | 07° 30' 21.6" W

The towns famous wool museum is housed inside the former Real Fabrica de Panos (Royal Textile Factory), which dates back to the 17th-Century after being established by the Marquis of Pombal. The mill was powered by the area's mountain streams. The museum was founded in 1982 and in three separate departments covers all the processes involved in the regions textile industry. The Royal Textile Factory Nuclei focuses on the period before the industrialisation of the wool production (18th-Century), the Veiga Royal Factory/Wool Interpretation Centre with valences of the Wool Industrialisation Museum Nuclei (19th and 20th centuries) and the Documentation/Wool Historical Archive Centre, and also the Râmolas de Sol, an open-air space made up of a set of sun strips used for drying and drawing wool fabrics outdoors, after passing through washers, floors or dyes, and a drying rack to spread and dry the wool in the sun, after washing.

Next to the Real Fabrica de Panos is the Real Fábrica Veiga, once the headquarters of an 18th-Century wool company and now an interpretation. centre. This establishment was involved in the dyeing of cloth. In addition to the old factories, you can see a wide collection of machines, equipment, fittings, textile products (wool, strings, textile samples, fabrics and garments).
Tuesday to Sunday: 09h30 - 12h00/14h30 – 18:00. Monday: CLOSED

Contact Details
Rua Marquês d´Ávila e Bolama • 6200-001 Covilhã, Portugal. | 40° 16' 56.2" N | 07° 30' 08.2" W
+351 275 319 724 | muslan@ubi.pt | Website

In the sleepy village of Pêraboa, 14km from Covilhã is the museum dedicated to one of the region's best loved products – Queijo de Serra da Estrela. The perfect pasture lands in the area are ideal for sheep farming that not only support the regions wool industry but also produces one of the finest cheeses you'll ever encounter. Within the Museu do Queijo you'll discover the long history of cheese making in the mountains, its legacy, history and heritage, manufacturing techniques as well as enjoying tasting the cheeses. As soon as you enter the museum your senses are bombarded by the aromas of the various cheeses.

Through the use of various types of media, you will about the age-old shepherd traditions that have survived centuries. See how ancient methods are still used to curdle the milk and make the delightful wheels of cheese. The end result is what is fondly known as the king of Portuguese cheese. Queijo de Serra da Estrela is prized for its soft rich texture with distinct nutty and intense flavours. During the spring months, you can even participate in milking the ewes and pressing the cheeses into moulds.

Daily: 10h30 – 12h30/14h30 - 17h30, Monday & Thursday: CLOSED IN THE AFTERNOON
Adult: €5.00, Concessionary: €3.50

Contact Details
Museu do Queijo, Rua dos Casaínhos, Pêraboa, Covilhã, Portugal. | 40° 15' 26.9" N | 07° 23' 11.9" W
+351 275 471 172 | museudoqueijo@gmail.com | Website