03 – HIDDEN TREASURES IN THE (SUB) SOIL OF THE DOURO AND PAIVA VALLEYS

Location: Douro and Paiva valleys, Castelo de Paiva

Level of difficulty (physical requirement): Low

Castelo de Paiva is a municipality blessed by the nature. While the South is dominated by forest, the North is bordered by the emblematic Douro river, where two other rivers of great value to the territory flow: the Paiva, which delimits the East and the Arda that defines its border to the West.

But the richness of this municipality is not only visible in the surface. Its subsoil hides some of the most valuable treasures of the Douro and Paiva valleys.

Through this visit we propose the discovery of plant fossils with more than 300 million years, as well as the knowledge of the history of the old “Couto Mineiro do Pejão”, yore one of the largest coal mining complexes in Northern Portugal. We will also have time, to discover the secrets of the production of Green Wines, a product of excellence with roots in the fertile soils of these valleys!