Gold, hills and the Douro in Gondomar
Gondomar is known as the capital of goldsmithing, where gold filigree is still a living craft. Read on for the Monte Crasto viewpoint over the Douro and Porto, river beaches that draw swimmers in summer and the hills of the Parque das Serras do Porto.
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Gondomar is a city in the Porto metropolitan area, bordering the municipality of Porto to the west. Among other explanations, its name is attributed to the Visigothic king Gundemar, who is said to have founded a couto here in 610, although no trace of the Visigoths has been found. In 1193 King Sancho I granted Gondomar its carta de couto, and King Manuel I gave it a foral in 1514 or 1515, depending on the source. The parish of São Cosme was only formally confirmed as the town of Gondomar, the municipal seat, in 1927. The neoclassical town hall dates from 1901 and replaced an earlier building that had stood since 1778.
Gondomar has earned the title "Capital da Ourivesaria", the capital of goldsmithing: working gold is the municipality's main activity, and the old crafts of filigree and wood carving are still practised. The Municipal Filigree Museum occupies the Casa Branca de Gramido, an 18th-century manor where the Gramido Convention was signed in 1847; as the welcome centre of the Filigree Route, it is the starting point for visits to the municipality's traditional workshops. The city's emblem is Monte Crasto, a natural fortress 194 metres high and one of the municipality's main viewpoints, with views over the Douro and across Gondomar, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia.
The municipality is crossed by the Douro, Tinto, Torto, Sousa and Ferreira rivers, and some 37 km of it runs along the Douro, where river beaches such as Lomba, Zebreiros, Melres and Marecos draw swimmers in summer. Inland, Gondomar, Valongo and Paredes formed the Parque das Serras do Porto association to restore around 6,000 hectares of hills, including Santa Justa, Pias and Banjas.
The craft beer scene in Gondomar is still waiting to be discovered. With Porto right next door, travellers can look around the wider metropolitan area to see what is being poured nearby.
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Frequently asked questions
Gondomar has earned the title of capital of goldsmithing because working gold is the municipality's main activity. The old crafts of filigree and wood carving are still practised here, keeping alive a tradition that sets the city apart within the Porto metropolitan area, which borders it to the west.
Monte Crasto is the best-known viewpoint: a natural fortress 194 metres high and the city's emblem. From the top there are views over the Douro and across Gondomar, Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, which makes it one of the municipality's main lookout points.
Yes, some 37 km of the municipality runs along the Douro, and river beaches such as Lomba, Zebreiros, Melres and Marecos draw swimmers in summer. The Tinto, Torto, Sousa and Ferreira rivers also cross Gondomar, so water is never far away when exploring the area.
Inland, the hills of Santa Justa, Pias and Banjas are part of the Parque das Serras do Porto, an association formed by Gondomar, Valongo and Paredes to restore around 6,000 hectares of hills. It gives the eastern edge of the Porto metropolitan area a large green space.
The Municipal Filigree Museum is housed in the Casa Branca de Gramido, an 18th-century manor where the Gramido Convention was signed in 1847. As the welcome centre of the Filigree Route, it is the starting point for visits to traditional workshops. Entry costs €2, free for residents, under-18s and over-65s.