The Cruzeiro viewpoint sits at an altitude of 607 metres and offers panoramic views over Proença-A-Nova and the surrounding villages. Together with forests, fields, older streets and cultural traces, the area offers a range of points of interest. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus more on landscapes and routes or on local history, buildings and regional specialities.

Landscapes and routes

Extensive forests and cultivated fields surround Proença-a-Nova. The landscape includes olive groves and cherry trees, whose blossoms add a seasonal touch in spring. If the cherry blossom is a factor in choosing when to travel, spring offers a suitable time of year. Forests, fields and olive groves also shape the surrounding area.

The municipal route portal offers ways to explore the area on foot, by motor vehicle and by bicycle. Stage 1 of the Rota da Cortiçada runs along the older streets between Casa das Associações and Largo da Devesa. On this stage, the route continues from Largo da Devesa towards Largo Pedro da Fonseca and the exterior of Capela da Misericórdia. Pedra das Letras is considered an archaeological find on Stage 1 of the Rota da Cortiçada. Alongside the named streets and squares, the route therefore takes in an archaeological point of interest and the exterior of the chapel.

Historic traces in town

Capela da Misericórdia was built in 1557 and houses the relic of the Santo Lenho. Pedro da Fonseca brought it from Rome in 1588. The construction date and the history of the relic thus refer to two distinct historical events. Proença-a-Nova received its first charter in 1282 from Frei Rodrigo Egídio, the prior of the Order of the Hospital. Igreja Matriz features 18th-century woodcarvings. Taken together, these historical points of reference span the 13th to the 18th centuries; each date relates to a different part of the town’s history.

Different cultural themes can also be found in other places. The garden of Nossa Senhora das Neves features monuments to those who fell in the First World War and the Overseas War. Proença-a-Nova also has a traditional slate mill with very large millstones. At Igreja Matriz, the woodcarvings are a notable detail; at the mill, the building material and size of the millstones catch the eye. Maranhos are among Proença-a-Nova’s gastronomic specialities and add a culinary point of interest to the historical themes.

A look at the wider region

In the wider region around Proença-a-Nova, a Roman bridge over the Pracana stream remains standing in São Pedro do Esteval. Praia Fluvial de Aldeia Ruiva is also in the wider area and is described as one of the most visited leisure spots. It is used seasonally, so bear this in mind when choosing when to travel. The bridge and the leisure spot offer different points of interest: one is a surviving historic structure, the other a seasonal leisure destination.

Discover more destinations: Vila Velha De Rodão, Pena Falcão, Belmonte, Oledo, Castelo Branco, Penha Garcia, São Miguel De Acha, Álvaro

Go to the main travel overview: Castelo Branco.