In the heart of the country, descending towards the Tagus, lies the mountainous and beautiful region of Montanhas.
Local dances and singing have a strong Celtic influence and festivities and processions combine the pagan heritage with old Christian rituals. To South we can find Serrada Estrela, a resort for practicing winter sports and the place where the delicious cheese queijo da Serra is made. Here you can visit some amazing historic villages where time seems to have stoped, such as Almeida, Sortelha, Monsanto, Belmonte, Piodao and Idanha-a-Velha.
This region is the ideal place for mountaineering, canoeing or have a calm rest in a thermal spa. The visitor is offered here a great variety of meats, sausages, cheeses and good wine among a people who still practises a form of communal life and a great hospitality.
Some cities of interest you can visit in this region are: Braganca, a magestic, medieval city where Domus Municipalis is a unic example of civic Romanesque architecture. In Castelo Branco, with a 13th century castle, you get a feel of the strong medieval style. Places to visit here are: Graça Convent (16th-18th centuries), Santo Antonio dos Capuchos Convent (16th century) and Misericordia Velha Church ( 16th-18th centuries).