Property Details of Northern Portugal Apartment

Casa Moinho da Porta, situated alongside a tributary of the Rio Ave, is a former corn and saw mill. Partly concealed by a grove of alder and eucalyptus but still very sunny, the gurgling of water in the background, and no sign of other houses in the vicinity - this is a unique cottage in a unique spot.

The old mill is carefully restored and furnished to the highest standards, with the use of original materials like authentic Portuguese roof tiles and 18th century iron lattice from a nearby monastery. The water course along and under the mill has been preserved.

The cottage invites you to experience its different atmospheres; at the dining table in the kitchen, in the living near the open fireplace, on the balcony above the stream, at the table near the open patio doors, behind the desk in front of the bedroom window. The kitchen leads to a nice shady terrace overlooking the stream. On the patio at the other side of the house, and of course near the swimming pool, you can enjoy the sun almost the entire day.
Ground floor: Living room with open fireplace, TV, Hifi set and balcony. Dining room. Fully fitted kitchen with dining table.
First floor: 2 Bedrooms; one double and one twin; both with ensuite bathroom.
Annexe (near the swimming pool): Shower and toilet. Utility room with washing machine and dryer. Covered patio with barbecue.
Heating: Central heating, with an open fireplace in the living room.
Facilities: Private swimming pool, satellite-TV, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, cot (on demand), barbecue.

The nearby village is Taide, the nearest town is Povoa de Lanhoso (7 Km, all facilities), with a lively centre and a large weekly market. Worth visiting are the 11th century castle, a recently restored castro (prehistoric settlement), and the Museu do Ouro (gold filigree). The city of Braga is 25 Km away, and Porto international airport 75 Km. Vigo international airport, in Spain, 270 Km.
Cleaning (two times a week) is included, as is daily supply of fresh rolls.
Less suitable for little children as the stream runs alongside the house and the garden.
Pets are not allowed.
Not suitable for wheel chairs.
Sleeps 4 persons.

Local Area Details

Povoa de Lanhoso: The castle built on the top of the hill known as Monte do Pilar is the most important monument in the region and, according to tradition, D. Teresa, the mother of the first king of Portugal was held prisoner there in the twelfth century after the Battle of Sao Mamede, in which mother and son fought on opposite sides.

In the seventeenth century, the monastery of Nossa Senhora do Pilar was built next to the castle. In the nearby village of Fonte Arcada is a twelfth-century Romanesque church that is well worth a visit.

Situated in the heart of the vinho verde demarcated wine region, Povoa de Lanhoso is well known for its granite quarrying and cutting industries and its remarkable goldsmith's work (filigree).

Additional Information

About Parks

National Park Peneda-Geres is 27 Km from property. This was the first protected area to be founded in Portugal in 1971 and it is the only national park in the country. Having once been the home of the brown bear and the mountain goat, Peneda-Gerês is today one of the last refuges of the great predators, such as the wolf and the royal eagle. Peneda-Gerês is of particular note because it is the only National Park in existence in Portugal. Founded in 1971, it covers an area of 72,000 hectares and has an extraordinary diversity of climate, envirorunents and scenery, comprising the transition zone between the Mediterranean and Euro-Siberian regions Because of this, flora and fauna are found that are rare or non existent in other parts of the country. Human occupation dates back 7,000 years and Megalithic, Celtic and Roman monuments are found frequently.  Memory and inheritance from these times are the vestiges of community life, almost extinct today but still present in certain isolated points where they have still survived the modern manifestations of human intervention. The vast heritage still to be found makes Peneda-Gerês an essential visiting point for anyone who wishes to discover the Parks of Portugal. Two mountain plains - Castro Laboreiro (to the North) and Mourela (to the East) - form the boundaries of the granite semi--circle that makes up this Park. Between the two are the mountains of Peneda (1373 m), Soajo (1217 m), Amarela (1092 m) and Gerês (1545 m), the highest and most extensive. Thanks to the heavy rainfall, there is a very dense hydrographic network, with the most important rivers; being the Peneda and Castro Laboreiro, Lima, Homem, Gerês, Fafião, Cabril and Cávado. Six dams have also been built in the area of the Park.  The mountain populations have always lived mainly from shepherding. Their community life still remains in the their herding, where each shepherd takes turn at taking the village herds to graze on the mountain slopes. In Peneda and Soajo there are traditionally two homes: the winter quarters "inverneiras" - in the main village at a low altitude and used during the colder months - and the "brandas" - used in the Spring and from where the populations go in search of mountain pastures. The typical vegetation of the region is oak. It is almost always the black oak that predominates, coexisting with an impressive diversity of ferns, mosses, lichen, mushrooms and other plants such as the endangered holly. There are woods where the Gerês lily can be found, but the plants are mostly heather, genista, gorse, broom, gramineous plants and juniper. This latter, like the woodland pine, the yew, the white birch and the rare Gerês fern, is a true relic of glacial flora. The varied climatic influences occasionally result in unexpected flora, with examples being the cork oak and the British oak. In the higher zones you can find areas that are always flooded, where the carnivorous plants, most particularly the "Orvalhinha", are a constant feature. Although some of the species are now extinct, such as the brown bear and the mountain goat, the National Park still presents a very varied fauna, with important species like the wolf, the roe deer, the wild boar, the fox, the wild ferret and the otter. Of special importance among the bird species are the endangered royal eagle, the kite, the woodland screech owl and the titmouse. Among the reptiles the most important are the rarely found Seoane viper and the horned viper, as well as the water snake, the water lizard and the green lizard. Amphibians of special note are the rare Lusitanian salamander, the tritons, the Iberian frog and the midwife toad.

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Property Features

* Has a Pool
* Close to a golf course
* Close to a Beach

Contact Information for 90107 Luxury converted watermill Portugal

Name:	Frederico Santos
Telephone:	+351-242-908061
Alt Telephone:	+351-934-512503
Fax:	+351-242-908026
Its completely free to send an enquiry! Use this opportunity and email the owner below to ask as many questions as you wish about this Apartment in Northern Portugal.