Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GHOST TOWNS: THE TRANSMONTANA EXODUS
Portugal is one of the few European countries to experience mass emigration well into the 20th century. In the
1970s alone, it's estimated that 775,000 people left the country - nearly 10% of the total population.
With difficult agricultural conditions and very little industry, it is of little surprise that Trás-os-Montes (along
with the neighbouring Minho) contributed more than its share of residents to the exodus. The region's population
shrank by nearly 33% between 1960 and 2001. To get an idea of the kinds of conditions they were fleeing, con-
sider this: 60% of the region's workforce was engaged in agriculture into the 1990s - a figure that is much higher
than found in many developing nations.
At the turn of the 20th century, the lion's share of emigrants headed to Brazil, which was undergoing a coffee
boom. Later, many left for Portugal's African possessions, which received increased investment and interest dur-
ing Salazar's regime. Then, as Europe's postwar economy heated up in the 1960s and '70s,
transmontanas
began
to stick closer to home, finding work as labourers in Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and especially France.
The effect of this mass exodus is still visible, especially in many rural areas. There are many villages that have
been abandoned wholesale, left to a handful of widows and a clutch of chickens. Around others you'll find a ring
of modern construction, almost always paid for by money earned abroad rather than the fruit of the land. And
don't be surprised to meet a villager, scythe in hand and oxen in tow, who speaks to you in perfect Parisian argot.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Parque Natural do Alvão
With its rock-strewn highlands, schist villages, waterfalls and verdant pockets where cows
graze in stone-walled pastures, the pristine Parque Natural do Alvão comes as a delightful
revelation to travellers climbing from the hotter, drier country below. A drive of less than
half an hour brings you from Vila Real to this extraordinary park straddling the central
ridgeline of the Serra de Alvão, whose highest peaks reach more than 1300m. The small
(72 sq km) protected area remains one of northern Portugal's best-kept secrets and shelters
a remarkable variety of flora and fauna, thanks to its position in a transition zone between
the humid coast and the dry interior.
The Rio Ôlo, a tributary of the Rio Tâmega, rises in the park's broad granite basin. A
300m drop above Ermelo gives rise to the spectacular Fisgas de Ermelo falls, the park's
major tourist attraction.
Exploring the park on your own is not simple, as maps, accommodation and public
transport are limited. Whether you plan to walk or drive in the park, it's worth visiting one
of the park offices, located in Vila Real and Mondim de Basto, beforehand.
Sights
