Medelim is known as the “aldeia dos balcões” – Village of Balconies – because many of its houses still have balconies that define the village’s appearance. The village is also home to buildings from several centuries, local craft traditions and the starting point of a 17-kilometre hiking trail. Cultural history and hiking are two distinct ways to plan your stay.

Balconies, Architectural History and Local History

Casa de Medelim is a small manor house dating from the late 16th century. It houses a museum area dedicated to the architectural heritage of the village and region. Casa da Ti Paróquia is also notable for its architecture: its large balcony has a projection supported by stone columns. Traditions of stoneworking and blacksmithing are reflected in stone and ironwork in the village and its surroundings.

Rua da Judiaria recalls Medelim’s Jewish community, which lived there until the 16th century. Medelim is also on Portugal’s heritage route, Rede das Judiarias de Portugal. A dolmen from the Neolithic and Copper Age – the Neocalcolithic period – is considered archaeological heritage of interest. These different traces range from a named street and its historical associations to archaeological evidence of the more distant past.

Capela de São Sebastião, also known as Capela do Espírito Santo, dates from the 17th century. Inside is a Baroque altar made of polychrome carved wood. Igreja Matriz is a 19th-century building that was remodelled in the 1960s. Ermida do Senhor do Calvário was rebuilt in 1736. Separate from the chapel, Monte do Senhor do Calvário offers panoramic views over Medelim and its surroundings.

Misericórdia is also part of the village’s history: an adjoining section of the building served as a hospital. The recently restored wood-fired oven is another part of the village’s architectural heritage. Together with the churches and chapels, these buildings present different kinds of heritage side by side – religious buildings, community-use buildings and architecture shaped by traditional crafts.

Hiking and Cultural Events

The PR7 IDN Rota dos Balcões hiking trail starts in Medelim. It is 17 kilometres long, rated moderate and takes an estimated five hours. These details give you a clear idea of the time involved: the hike is a dedicated activity, not a short detour. Check the latest trail information before setting out. If you would rather focus on cultural history than a hike lasting several hours, you can explore the village’s buildings and historical associations instead.

The annual festival at Ermida do Senhor do Calvário takes place in the last week of August; the exact dates may vary depending on the programme. Check the dates for the relevant year before travelling. Páscoas Judaica e Cristã recreates old Easter traditions and promotes research into local and regional heritage. This event also connects Medelim’s cultural themes with its history.

Another custom is recorded as a historical practice: on the night of 7 December, young men used shovels and pickaxes to pull up the Madeiro, the Christmas log, and topple it with ropes. The log was then carried through the village towards the churchyard. Historically, an accordion player accompanied the procession, which stopped at the village shops for a drink.

The Christmas decorations are also documented with specific details for 2025: for the fifth consecutive year, the crocheted Christmas tree and a nativity scene were installed at the roundabout on the main entrance road to the municipality. The version of the tree installed in 2025 was seven metres tall, twelve metres in diameter and made of more than 1,200 hand-crocheted squares. Future versions may be designed differently.

For road access, the EN 332 is one of the main routes into Medelim. This makes it possible to choose the village for two clearly distinct interests: its architectural and cultural heritage, or a hike with a specified distance and estimated duration.

Discover more destinations: Monsanto, Nave Redonda, Aldeia do Bispo, Orjais, Rosmaninhal.

Go to the main travel guide: Idanha-A-Nova.