Pampilhosa da Serra is a traditional Mountain village, situated in the Central region of Portugal, characterized by its mountain landscape, its Schist houses and the great peace of mind present in every corner, bathed by the lovely Unhais river.
The landscape is the most precious thing of this region, with astonishing panoramas over pine tree forests, rocky cliffs. Deep valleys, several caves, shelters, grottoes and an abundance of water courses, like the great waterfall with 327 meters high.
The other highlights in Pampilhosa da Serra are its beautiful Renascence Mother Church, the Misericórdia Chapel (16th century), the lovely Chapels of Santo António (16th century), São Sebastian (17th century) and São Jerónimo from where one has a great panorama over Pampilhosa da Serra. The village also presents wonderful Manor Houses, like the “Solar dos Melos” or the “Casa do Arco” (16th/17th century), or the wonderful Municipal Museum (and Tourist information centre) and the Carvalho House-Museum.
The region presents several places perfect for the development of the most varied tourist activities, with spots like the Dornemas do Zêzere and Janeiro de Baixo Fluvial Beaches or the Floating Swimming Pool of the Santa Luzia Dam.
The Pampilhosa da Serra Midwife’s Legend
It is said that once a Moorish community inhabited the cave of a place called “Ponte da Covilhã”. One day a Moorish Lady was having difficulty in labour. Her husband, in panic, went downtown to look for the region’s Midwife. Many people warned her about the Moors menace, that they were quite dangerous and might, inclusively, kill her. The Midwife filled with courage attended the pregnant lady anyway, delivering a fine baby. As everything went so well, the Moor, pleased, offered the Midwife four coal stones.
Walking back home, the midwife stare at the stones and, as she found no utility in them, threw them away. After a second thought, she decided to keep two of them.
The next morning, she looked at the two coal stones and realised that they had transformed into two beautiful Gold stones. She immediately came back to the place where she dropped the other two, but they were already vanished.
