Despite the vestiges of human presence dating all the way back to the prehistoric era, it is only during the Medieval Ages that populations started to settle on this territory. From a count of 27 historic villages that make part of the “Schist Villages Network”, our visit will focus mainly on two of them - Candal and Talasnal - which contain constructions dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. These are located at the Lousã Mountain, a few kilometers away from the city of Coimbra!

Candal is the most developed within the mountain villages and it's used to receive visitors due to its accessible location, next to a national road. Though don't let it fool you: here the air is pure, with only 7 inhabitants and their respective four-legged companions, we will be taking a walk through the center of the village all the way up to the panoramic view spot… and enjoy the breathtaking views over the valley and Ribeira do Candal.

Our second stop will be at Talasnal, described by many as a faithful representation of “a magical world of luxurious vegetation in which dears, bucks, boars and other species can be seen wandering around”! This village is composed of many restored houses, and at any given day of the week it's a very natural reaction to just stop and listen into the silence to be able to hear the hum of the bees or the water that runs across it! During the weekend the village gains another life: the restaurants and shops get open for business, the visitors show up from various mountain trails, and you can listen to the echoes of the people who are just enjoying themselves on the streets of this charming place!