Why you should visit Chaves
Located in the Tâmega valley, Chaves possesses an unquestionable natural beauty and has a long and interesting historical and cultural legacy.
If you are thinking of visiting Chaves, this is the ideal moment. The autumn colours painted by the trees reflected in the river, transmit us an incredible calm and sweetness. With that in mind, we have selected some of the reasons why you should visit the city.
Thermal Route
Many people visit the city of Chaves to resort to its thermal baths with curative capacities. The city has a large annual flow of thermal tourists due to the large concentration of thermal and mineral-medicinal springs.
In addition, about 15 km away is Vidago, also known for its thermal springs and its gas-carbonated mineral waters, very rich in calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate.
The ‘Verín-Chaves-Vidago Thermal and Water Route’, as it is called, runs through the Alto Tâmega Valley, covering northern Portugal and southeastern Galicia. In Chaves, you can visit the outstanding complex of Termas de Chaves – Spa do Imperador. In the next parish, in Vidago, there is the Pedagogical Spa and research of thermal practices where you can taste the rich and tasty water in its fountains. And to finish the route, visit Verín where you will get to know the four thermal spas, Sousa, Fontenova, Cabreiroá and Caldeliñas.
You can take the opportunity to stay at the Hotel Casino de Chaves, where, apart from the relaxation that visiting the city provides, it also offers you some entertainment. Being 4 stars, the place has a new casino with a great variety of games, equipped with 300 Slot Machines, 6 table games and the famous American and French Roulette, the favourite games of storytellers such as Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, in a city full of it: history.
The streets and Cultural Heritage
It is possible to visit Chaves in just one day, but it will be difficult to truly know the whole city and enjoy every corner it has to offer.
When you enter the city, you will immediately find what is left of the Castle of Chaves: the Torre de Menagem, a structure left over from the medieval castle, which takes us back in time and history, reminding us of the power games between Portugal and Spain.
Right in the city centre, you will find the Ponte de Trajano. A Roman bridge built at the end of the 1st century during the Romanisation process of this region.
On the banks of the Tâmega river, we find the oldest garden and green space in the entire city, transformed into a public garden in the 20th century, donated to the Flaviences by the banker Cândido Sotto Mayor.
The forts of São Francisco and São Nautel are also still standing in the city today. They were built during the Wars of Restoration in the 17th century given the need for greater protection. It is worth visiting and letting yourself be carried away by all that mystique.
Wander the streets, visit the castles of Monforte de Rio Livre and the town’s churches. The Mother Church, the Church of Misericórdia, the Magdalena Church and the Sanctuary of São Caetano, whose origin dates back to Visigothic times. If you know the Pilgrimage of São Caetano or have heard about it, this is a place you won’t want to miss. Chaves is full of history in every corner.
Museums
If you like art, you really have to visit the Nadir Afonso Museum of Contemporary Art. This museum, only 2 years old, is in a building designed by the famous and prestigious architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. In it you will find a foyer, a bar, a library, an auditorium and four exhibition rooms, with temporary and permanent exhibitions.
Do you remember the Keep we told you about above? Inside there is the Military Museum with a permanent exhibition of military material, weapons, swords, uniforms, flags, artillery and other items used by the Portuguese army. Take the opportunity to get to know a little more of our history.
Gastronomy
We all know that there is no better gastronomy than the Portuguese, rich in variety, tradition and flavour. And tourists know it too. As is usual in every corner of our country, Chaves offers a wide range of delicious dishes of transmontana food.
Besides the famous pastéis de chaves, we invite you to give your palate a nice treat by tasting the sausages, the folar and the meat balls, the honey and the jams, the biscuits and much more. Chaves invites you, and rightly so, to one of the most pleasurable sins, gluttony.
The city has many wonders to discover, starting with its bucolic landscapes. Let yourself be captivated.