The Citânia Route runs along the parishes of Donim and S. Salvador de Briteiros, in the far north of the municipality, bordered to the north by the Falperra mountains, about four hundred metres high, and the Ave river valley area to the south. This is a territory that, in addition to having good natural conditions for agropastoral activities, offers excellent natural defence conditions, privileged conditions for the development of the first settlements.

The archaeological work of Martins Sarmento in Sabroso and Briteiros, from 1875 onwards, allowed the discovery of one of the most important castreño civilizations in the northwest of the peninsula. The archaeological finds made available at that time, and which can be seen in the Citânia de Briteiros and in the Museu da Cultura Castreja (two spaces integrated into this trail – PR2 Ruta da Citânia), represent important testimonies of the complex character of the civilization of these peoples.

From elaborately decorated gold artefacts to stonework, of which the Pedras Formosas are emblematic examples, personal objects, instruments and implements used in everyday activities, allow us to imagine that the castreña civilisation, the “matrix of cultural identity” of the people of the northwest, had very evolved cultural and artistic forms. Along the Ave River and its tributaries Febras and Torto we can still observe today some of the most useful artefacts in the agro-pastoral economy of this region: the mills. It is, therefore, in search of the mills and the surrounding landscape that we invite you to follow the route we propose.

Additional information

Departure and arrival
Briteiros (Salvador)

Scope
Historical-cultural, environmental and landscape

Type of route
Small route, along rural roads

Distance to cover
9.5 kilometres – circular

Duration of the route
Approximately 4 hours

Level of difficulty
Easy

Slopes
Not very pronounced

Recommended season
All year round