Boticas

Right up in the northeast of Portugal, and so close to Spain, we hear the silence of the people of this land deep in the country’s interior, part of the district of Vila Real, Alto Trás-os-Montes. Boticas is a land of legacies, of pure nature and of a great deal of history. Between the hills and the mountains, the municipality has been preserving everything that once existed in it. From age-old mills, or dolmen ruins, to holy buildings and fortifications...

The municipality has sought to give visitors quality tourism. In addition to the historical and cultural heritage, the beauty of Boticas has also contributed to the development of the region. Just as its rich gastronomy, of mouth-watering temptations. And, as mentioned, Boticas is a municipality concerned about conservation. To this end it created the Upper Valley of the River Terva Archaeological Park (PAVT), in partnership with the University of the Minho, where the core of the project was «Conservation, Study, Appreciation and Promotion of the Old Mining Complex of the Upper Valley of the River Terva». A complex of unique authenticity, originality and monumentality. The PAVT Interpretation Centre is in the village of Bobadela, where there will soon also be an ethnographic centre known as «A Casa das Memórias» [The House of Memories].
Similarly, another project, developed in collaboration with the University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), has much to say about Boticas. The project is known as «Boticas Park - Nature and Biodiversity», which is nearing completion, and is situated between the villages of Vilas and Quintas. This is a theme park covering an area of ​​60 hectares, the purpose of which is the preservation of biodiversity. Shelters will be created to produce the conditions for some wild species to live in freedom in the park.
The role of the Nadir Afonso Arts Centre is slightly different. The creation of this space arose from the need to equip the municipality with cultural facilities in order to promote tourism and, on the other hand, it was a way to honour Nadir Afonso - a Portuguese contemporary artist. The architectural design of the building was created by the artist’s son, Artur. Next to the Town Hall and very close to the centre of the town, visitors can see the how the structure blends harmoniously with the landscape. Part of the painter’s collection is housed in the Arts Centre, a place of research, learning, documentation and also a temporary exhibition centre.
The European Centre for Documentation and Interpretation of Iron Age Sculpture (CEDIEC) also promotes ​​the proto-historical artistic expressions of the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is located alongside the Barroso Ecomuseum, in a building of traditional architecture. The complex consists of a permanent Exhibition Centre where you can see four replicas of statues of Galician warriors. But a visit to the Ecomuseum is of equal interest, where nature tourism can be enjoyed in full. And there is so much more to see...