During the 22nd and 23rd April 2015 the Project visited the Arouca Geopark to learn about its work in the field of Rural Heritage.

The group was welcomed to Arouca by the Mayor, Artur Neves, who introduced some of the work being carried out there such as the Casa das Pedras Parideiras as examples of best practice. (Images 2 & 3)

On the first day, after the formal Project business meeting, a visit was made to the Arouca Monastery and Museum to viw the exhibits.  A special recital was given on the church organ.  (Images 4 & 5)

In the evening the partners enjoyed a meal of traditional dishes at the restaurant O Pedrogão. The group enjoyed a short recital of traditional songs on arrrival at the restaurant. (Images 6 & 7)

During the second day the group visited a selection of sites on the plateau of the Serra da Freita, including the interpretation centre at Pedras Parideiras (Images 8 & 9), the village of Castanheira (Images 10 & 11), the weather radar tower (Images 12 & 13), the Frecha Mizarela waterfall (Images 14 & 15), and the viewpoint at Detrelo da Malhada (Images 16 & 17).  The visit ended with lunch at a traditional restaurant, Casa no Campo (Images 18 & 19).