Half way between Lisbon and Madrid, in the north east of Portugal, lies the Raia a region of mountains, forests, and strong-minded people with a millennia old culture.
The mountains are covered with oak, pine, and chestnut forests where the water comes out of the stones, and deer, wild hogs, eagles, condors, foxes and lynxes still roam. The people from this region are tough and they used to subsist in harsh conditions. Its isolation created a deep sense of self-sufficiency and resilience. Thousand-year-old castles dot the landscape, reminding us of the rich, tumultuous past of this region.
The cold, foggy, punishing winter, when the trees hibernate, and snow covers the fields
A bright, sparkling spring that brings the trees back to life in a display of the light-green colour of their fresh, budding leaves.
The mildly hot summer, when all trees are covered with lush foliage and people celebrate life.
A fruitful autumn when all the leaves turn brown, and the chestnuts fall to the ground.
The many medieval castles and walled villages, are a testimony of the rich, historical past of this region, and medieval themed festivals are now a tradition – The Sabugal pentagonal castle, the Alfaiates’ castle and the village of Sortelha are some of the best examples of this rich past.
Raia’s people have been shaped by the harshness of the region – tough, direct, self-sufficient and proud. This harshness lead to countless emigration waves that started in the late 19th century and left a region of 820 sq. km with only 11,000 habitants down from 25,000 in 1864. The biggest expression of the local culture is their love of horses and the Furcão bullfights.
