São Pedro da Cova: Discover Mining Culture and Landscapes

São Pedro da Cova allows visitors to experience the area’s mining identity in different ways. At the Museu Mineiro, historical exhibits are presented alongside an exhibition on women’s work, while the PR3 Trilho de Belói leads through the landscape of the Serras de Santa Justa e Castiçal. This allows you to choose between culture, guided experiences and nature when planning your trip.

Mining Culture at the Museu Mineiro

The Museu Mineiro de São Pedro da Cova was founded in 1989 and is housed in one of the former buildings of the Casas da Malta. Its permanent exhibition, “Valorização do Trabalho das Mulheres Mineiras”, explores the socioeconomic work of women in connection with the mining identity of São Pedro da Cova. This gives the museum visit a perspective that goes beyond technical equipment and production processes.

The collection includes equipment used for the extraction, processing and shipping of coal. It also comprises plant and animal fossils, as well as the company archives of the Companhia das Minas de Carvão de São Pedro da Cova. Anyone interested in the history of a mining town will find various points of entry here: working life, company history and traces from the natural world are presented side by side.

Guided Experiences and Visible Testimonies

“A Luz que nos Ilumina” is a guided activity that uses new technologies and an interactive screen to explain mining work and the former workers of the Minas de São Pedro da Cova. The experience combines the communication of historical content with an interactive format. During “Os Briquetes”, visitors can dress up as miners for a photo and recreate São Pedro da Cova’s former mining activities.

Another prominent testimony to this past is the Cavalete do Poço de São Vicente. It was built in 1934 and is a 38.5-metre-high industrial structure made of reinforced concrete. This structure provides a particularly tangible connection to the area’s industrial history and helps with orientation around the town.

Landscape Along the PR3 Trilho de Belói

The PR3 Trilho de Belói runs through the Serras de Santa Justa e Castiçal, through the valley of the Rio Ferreira and along its tributary, the Ribeira de Silveirinhos, in the area of the Freguesia S. Pedro da Cova. Anyone who would like to experience the landscape in addition to the museum content can include this route as a separate focus in their trip planning. The landscapes mentioned give the trail a clear geographical character.

The Parque Urbano de São Pedro da Cova is also part of the townscape. The urban park covers 21,000 square metres. As part of a redesign, the Tanque das Três Pernas was upgraded; it could be climbed to enjoy a panoramic view of the area. This adds further visible elements of the town’s development to its industrial landmarks.

The Right Accommodation for Your Trip Planning

When looking for a holiday apartment in São Pedro da Cova, it helps to decide on your preferred focus early on. Families primarily interested in history and interpretation can make the Museu Mineiro, the exhibition and the guided activities the centre of their visit. Those who enjoy taking in different landscapes can follow the routes described and visit the Parque Urbano. This makes it possible to choose accommodation in the town according to your personal balance of culture, nature and shared discoveries.

For a varied stay, you do not have to give equal weight to all the topics. One day can be devoted to the collection and mining history, another to the landscape along the PR3 Trilho de Belói or to the urban impressions of São Pedro da Cova. What matters is which of these facets you want to shape your trip.

More Places to Search

If you would like to continue your destination search, you can also view the pages for Lomba, Foz do Sousa and Rio Tinto.

For the higher-level travel overview: Gondomar.