Amarante- Gatão Rota do Românico

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog :-)

"Along the paths of Portugal
I saw so many beautiful things
I saw a world like no other"
Music: Caminhos de Portugal
Composers: Mario Gil

It's true that throughout Portugal there is no shortage of beautiful places to show you. In two weeks we are going to visit a stunningly beautiful village and I'm super excited for it to arrive because I actually need a vacation!!!! I think we're all at this time of year, but it's been ten months since the last one I had and the tiredness is starting to show. This time, I went to Amarante but always paying attention to the signs I passed. After the last meeting I decided to go look for the church that was indicated on the sign I passed. I went to the town of Gatão where nothing was happening.

And when I say nothing I mean nothing, not a car, a person, a cat or a dog. i was able to stop on the side of the road, step out of the car and take pictures. I started down where Waze indicated and stopped to enjoy the landscape.
The day was not very inviting for walks or photos, but what is certain is that I was able to capture the Church and the Ecopista and get to know a little more about this place.

The old railway route that connected the city of Amarante to Arco de Baúlhe, which has been inactive since 1990, was converted into an eco-trail of more than 50 km. Recognized as one of the most beautiful railway lines in Portugal, Ecopista do Tâmega offers a unique experience of contact with historical and natural heritage. Along the way, visitors pass through peaceful riverside villages, cross bridges and tunnels, and contemplate vineyards, in addition to encountering the Tâmega River, the jewel of the region, which appears unexpectedly at several points along the greenway.
As soon as you leave Amarante, at kilometer 16, you will find the Gatão Tunnel, which is 153 meters long.

About a kilometer and a half after the tunnel, there is the pier and the old Gatão station, decorated with tile panels. I thought it was very pretty and if it was a sunnier day I would definitely take the opportunity to sit there for a few minutes :-) A few meters further on, we found the Romanesque Church of Gatão. This 13th century church is of Roman origin and is part of the Tâmega e Sousa Romanesque Route. It was classified as a national monument in 1944.
From here I returned to my life and headed home because the clock doesn't stop.

I hope you enjoyed.
See you around.
Wishing you much peace and health

Those who pass by us do not go alone. They leave a bit of themselves, taking a piece of us."
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince.

Text & Photography by @Onyfest