Paços de Ferreira
Tâmega e Sousa
Porto District

Municipalities Districts of Porto

Guide to Portugal

Vinho Verde Sousa DOC

Terras do Sousa

Antigo Douro Litoral
The municipality and city of Paços de Ferreira are located in the district of Porto, in Entre Douro e Minho, sub-region Vale do Sousa e Tâmega, formerly in Douro Litoral, in the North of Portugal.

With an area of ​​71 km², the municipality of Paços de Ferreira is situated on a plateau, known as Chã de Ferreira; it is divided into 12 parishes and has a population of 55,598 inhabitants (INE, 2021). In 2011, Paços de Ferreira had 56,360 inhabitants, having registered a decrease in population of 1.3% in this period.

Location Located northeast of the city of Porto, from which it is 36 km away (about a half-hour drive), the municipality of Paços de Ferreira borders, to the north and west, with Santo Tirso, to the east with Lousada, to the south with Paredes, and to the southwest with and Valongo.

Land of Good Wines

In Paços de Ferreira, land of good wines, lovers of this precious nectar will be faced with good choices and discoveries in the universe of the DOC Vinho Verde Sousa. In this important municipality that produces Vinho Verde, wine lovers and oenologists can visit wineries and estates, among which the following stand out. Uveiras Grapevine Farm.

Vale do Sousa

Located in the heart of the Vale do Sousa, in addition to being the largest producer of Vinho Verde, the municipality of Paços de Ferreira is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscapes. The other producing municipalities are Felgueiras, Lousada, Paredes, Paços de Ferreira and Vizela.
The small Ferreira River descends from the plateau and flows into the Sousa River, which, in turn, flows into the Douro River.

Capital of Furniture and Textiles

The municipality of Paços de Ferreira is the largest furniture manufacturing center and an important textile producer in Portugal and Europe.

Gastronomy of Paços de Ferreira

In this land of fine Vinho Verde wines, the traditional cuisine of Northern Portugal, with its local spices, captivates visitors. The gastronomic heritage of Paços de Ferreira is expressed in the art of good cooking, being rich and varied, encompassing diverse gastronomic specialties, such as roast kid or lamb with oven-baked rice, Cozido à Portuguesa (Portuguese stew), or Rojões (pork stew), but the one that stands out is the Capão à Freamunde as a great host showcasing the know-how of our people, accompanied by roasted potatoes and turnip greens.

The Capon has earned the attention of several authors such as Gil Vicente, D. Francisco Manuel de Melo, Camilo Castelo Branco and Eça de Queirós, referring to it in their works as “Food of Kings”. Prepared “À Freamunde”, it has a large following of famous admirers, who every year do not miss the Gastronomic Week, which takes place every year from December 1st to 13th, with the 13th being the day of the famous Capon Fair. The popular proverb says “From the capon chicken the leg, and from the hen the breast”, the writer Camilo Castelo Branco, author of Amor de Perdição (1862), advised it to be lightly flambéed with old brandy and brought to the table with the skin crispy” [1].
Learn more: Gastronomy of Paços de Ferreira.

What to see and do in Paços de Ferreira

A half-hour drive from the capital of the North, Paços de Ferreira, in addition to the beauty of its natural landscapes, offers visitors a varied religious, historical (Citânia de Sanfins) and cultural heritage, with emphasis on the Romanesque Route.

Learn more: Tourist attractions of Paços de Ferreira.

For lovers of active holidays, there are plenty of options to consider: walks, excursions, trails, and visits to wineries and farms, such as Quinta das Uveiras.

Learn more: What to do in Paços de Ferreira.

Parishes of Paços de Ferreira

The following are the 12 parishes of Paços de Ferreira:

• Paços de Ferreira Modelos
• Carvalhosa
• Eiriz
• Ferreira
• Figueiró
• Frazão Arreigada
• Freamunde
• Meixomil
• Penamaior
• Raimonda
• Sanfins Lamoso Codessos
• Seroa