Walking - Rota Histórica das Linhas de Torres

Different trails are wrapped in a perfect symbiosis of history, heritage, culture, sport, nature, gastronomy and wine, integrated into unique, breathtaking landscapes.

Put on your boots and follow the paths we have made for you. Relax, let yourself be carried away by the scenery that served as a stage for one of the most notable moments in European history and CHANGE YOUR DESTINY IN THE PLACE WHERE WE CHANGED NAPOLEON’S!

Start your adventure of discovery with a map, a compass or a GPS.

The Lines of Torres Vedras Walking Trail – GR30

The Lines of Torres Vedras Walking Trail is made up of various pathways which crisscross a vast area between the river Tagus and the Atlantic Ocean.

It passes over hills and through valleys, along traditional paths and stretches of military road, crossing agricultural and wooded land with some challenging inclines to master.

As you walk, you will come across different flora and fauna but, underfoot, you are always aware that you are following in the footsteps of the British and Portuguese troops who toiled to prepare a defence for Lisbon from a third French invasion.

The Sobral de Monte Agraço Section

This is one of the most interesting sections of the GR30, given its historical significance.

A linear trail which invites you to see the main defensive positions along the Lines of Torres Vedras.

Follow the paths that Nature has on offer. Enjoy long walks or horse or cycle rides in the midst of stories of the past recounted by impressive scenery that is yours to discover. Test your sense of direction. Take your camera and record your latest adventures.

If you like birdwatching, look out for habitats. When you get to the Alqueidão Circuit, join your friends or family for a picnic. This is a place for relaxation and sharing.

Start and Finish | Patameira e Correntes (Valgarfos)

Context | Environment, Culture and Sport

Distance | 16 km

Difficulty | Medium to high

Altitude |439 m

Recommended season | Year round

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Recommended for Mountain Biking

Start and Finish | Sobral de Monte Agraço section on the EN533 and sections of Vila Franca de Xira and Loures, near the A-do-Mourão windmill

Context | Environment, Culture, Sport and Geotourism

Distance | 11 km

Difficulty | Medium to high

Altitude | 371 m

Recommended season | Year round

Places of Interest | Chapel of Santa Ana (Carvalha), Fort Carvalha, Á-do-Mourão windmill

Recommended for Mountain Biking

The Arruda dos Vinhos Section

This section is made up of horse trails that were used in the past by mounted allied troops.

The section crosses the municipality of Arruda dos Vinhos, along bridle paths once used by mounted allied troops. It includes some forts that make up the 1st Line of defence of the capital. This section links the municipalities of Sobral de Monte Agraço and Vila Franca de Xira, past Carvalha Fort (nº 10), where you can see partridges, rabbits, hawks and the rare Common Buzzard.

The Torres Vedras Section

Two trails that include the major built structures of the Lines of Torres Vedras.

A circular trail made up of two sections which are also circular, this section takes walkers past the main built structures of the Lines of Torres Vedras, as well as experiencing the natural, cultural and heritage resources of the municipality.

There are 5 places to start and / or finish this trail. These are indicated on the Information Board.

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Start and Finish
St. Vincent’s Fort | Torres Vedras
Foz do Rio Sizandro
Parque Verde da Várzea | Torres Vedras
Serra do Socorroo

Context | Environment, Culture and Sport

Type | Mixed (linear and/or circular)

Total Distance | 112 km (Sobral de Monte Agraço section and the Mafra section and the stretch between Fort Grilo and the Military Road near Bonabal)

Section Distances
» 29Km | St. Vincent’s Fort > Fort Ordasqueira > Serra do Socorro
» 17Km | Serra do Socorro > Castro do Zambujal > St. Vincent’s Fort
» 21Km | St. Vincent’s Fort > Fort Grilo > Foz do Rio Sizandro
» 26Km | Foz do Rio Sizandro > Castro do Zambujal > St. Vincent’s Fort

Difficulty | Medium to High

Altitude | 395m

Recommended season | Year round

Places of Interest | St. Vincent’s Fort, Fort Grilo, Foz do Sizandro, Castro do Zambujal, Fort Ordasqueira, Serra do Socorro

Recommended for Mountain Biking

Shorter Trails – PR

Some shorter trails to explore and to visit some of the natural and built heritage of the Lines of Torres Vedras.

Sobral de Monte Agraço

Windmill Trail

Nature’s diversity, influenced by the climate of the west coast, between its rivers and streams, invites you to spend time in the open air.

The hilly terrain is punctuated by windmills which attest to the most predominant agricultural activity in the region. They add a living expression of the culture and ethnography of the local population to the landscape.

Initially of wooden construction, they were later built of stone (middle of the 16th century) and became known as the “Portuguese windmill” or the “Mediterranean-style” windmill.

Take the Windmill Trail and experience its fabulous panoramic views. Take your binoculars with you and discover the Socorro and Montejunto hills, the Berlengas islands or the river Tagus along the horizon.

Many of the windmills were used during the 3rd French Invasion as advanced lookout posts, while others were converted into redoubts and integrated into the Lines of Torres Vedras.

Start and FInish | Largo da Feira de Sobral de Monte Agraço

Context | Environment, Culture and Sport

Type| Circular

Distance | 14 km

Difficulty | Medium

Recommended season | Year round

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Recommended for Mountain Bike

Start and Finish | Palácio do Morgado Garden

Context | Environment, Culture and Sport, Landscape, Geotourism

Distance | 13 km

Difficulty | Medium

Recommended season | Year round

Other places of interest | Palácio do Morgado, Heritage and Visitors’ Centre of the Lines of Torres, Chafariz (Town Fountain), Arruda dos Vinhos Church, Giesteira viewpoint

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Arruda dos Vinhos

Along the Al-Ruta hills

PR-1 – “Along the Al-Ruta Hills” is a trail packed with history, taking us back to various stages of the past. It starts from the gardens of Morgado Palace, passes by the forts of Cego, Carvalha and Covão da Cima (where you may find hang gliders) and Giesteira – where you will be bowled over by the beauty of the landscape that is the enchanted Arruda valley.

Torres Vedras

The Archeira Hills Trail

This is a circular trail in the Local Protected landscape of the Socorro and Archeira Hills (PPLSS). It allows the walker to experience the scenery and see the natural, cultural and heritage resources of the surrounding area.

The Serra do Socorro Trail

THE SERRA DA ARCHEIRA TRAIL

Start and finish | Heritage and Visitors’ Centre PPLSS

Type | Circular

Context | Environment, Culture and Sport

Distance | 10Km

Difficulty | Medium to high

Recommended season | Year round

Places of interest | Heritage and Visitors’ Centre PPLSSA, Archeira Fort, Feiteira Fort, Windmills

SERRA DO SOCORRO TRAIL

Start and finish | Heritage and Visitors’ Centre PPLSS

Context | Environment, Culture and Sport

Type | Circular

Distance| 11Km

Difficulty | Medium

Recommended season | Year round

Places of interest | Heritage and Visitors’ Centre Serra do Socorro

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Start and finish
Turcifal – Next to the Town Church
Serra do Socorro
Figueiredo – Heritage and Visitors’ Centre: Socorro and Archeira Hills, Local Protected Landscape

Context | Environmental

Type | Circular

Altitude | 395m

Distance| 22Km

Difficulty | Medium

Recommended season | Year round

Places of interest | Turcifal Village Church, Fort Archeira, Fort Feiteira, Hermitage of Our Lady of Socorro

Torres Vedras

Trail of Enchantments

This trail starts from the town church in Turcifal and heads towards the Socorro hills, with stunning views from the top, near the Hermitage of Our Lady of Socorro. The downward track to Furadouro follows the original cobbled military road for part of the way, and then passes the forts of Archeira, Feiteira and Catefica.

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Torres Vedras

Water Trail

This walking trail focuses on the various conserved wells, water lines and other heritage of this sort, sharing their stories and importance to the community, while giving value to water as a natural resource essential to all life on the planet.

As well as having water as its theme, this trail also highlights the natural and built heritage of the parish, including Fort Grilo, a military earthwork integrated into the Lines of Torres Vedras during the French Invasions.

Star and finish | Parque Verde da Ponte

Context| Environment, Culture and Sport

Type | Circular

Altitude | 91 m

Distance | 20Km

Difficulty | Medium

Recommended season | Year round

Places of interest | The Church and Monastery of St. Anthony of Varatojo (Santo António) (National Monument), Church and Monastery of Our Lady of Grace (Graça), St. Peter’s Church (S. Pedro) (National Monument)

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Start and finish | Museu do Vinho

Context| Environment, Culture and Sport

Type | Circular

Altitude | 306 m

Distance | 23 000 m

Difficulty | Medium

Recommended season | Year round

Places of interest | Alrota/Ajuda Grande redoubts, Quinta da Murta, Quinta do Boição and Quinta do Chão do Prado

Loures

The Alrota/Ajuda Grande Circuit

This trail brings together the themes of the Lines of Torres Vedras and “vine and wine”, in one of the oldest demarcated wine regions. Arinto vines shape the landscape and, all along the trail, you can enjoy the rural environment, punctuated by valleys and streams. The Boição valley still has some of its oldest watermills. The trail crosses zones of vegetation with Atlantic characteristics, others are typically Mediterranean. Apart from the scenery, the visitor passes through estates renowned for their Arinto wines, including Quinta da Murta, Quinta do Boição and Quinta do Chão do Prado. On one of the highest points is the Ajuda Grande redoubt, a fortification in an advanced military position on the 2nd Line. This is the perfect place to observe and absorb the strategy behind the construction of this famous defensive system.

Loures

Arpim Circuit

This is a hilly trail, climbing up towards Serves and descending steeply to Bucelas, along part of the GR30. Its background theme is the Lines of Torres Vedras, as well as the beautiful scenery over Bucelas valley and over the river Tagus, especially from Fort Aguieira (Vila Franca de Xira). It includes visits to Fort Arpim and Fort Aguieira and passes near Quinta da Romeira de Cima, an old wine estate with a fine house.

Start and finish | Museu do Vinho

Context| Environment, Culture and Sport

Type| Circular

Altitude | 309 m

Distance | 13 550 m

Difficulty | Medium

Recommended season | Year round

Places of interest | Vale de Bucelas, river Tagus, Fort Arpim and Fort da Aguieira and Quinta da Romeira de Cima

Start and finish | Parque Municipal de Montachique

Context| Environment, Culture and Sport

Type | Circular

Altitude | 280 m

Distance | 12,000 m

Difficulty | Medium

Recommended season | Year round

Places of interest | Chapels at Freixial; Montachique, Mosqueiro and Ribas redoubts

Loures

The Ribas and Freixial Circuit

The area between the Ribas hills and the Freixial pass is important for its being one of the fulcral points on the Lines of Torres Vedras and by the group of religious architecture in the hamlet of Freixial. The visitor is invited to dive into distinct historical periods which have left their marks here. What you will find here, on the outskirts of Lisbon, includes evidence of a nobility who chose this place to build their stately homes, as well as the redoubts at Montachique, Mosqueiro and Ribas which helped to stop the capital being taken by the French.

Next to the Ribas redoubt, in early Spring, any visitor will be awestruck by the vast blanket of wild orchids! Starting down the hill to Freixial, as we get closer to the hamlet, we pass through a denser, leafier wood reminiscent of those near Sintra and often referred to as a “Peasants’ Sintra”.

Vila Franca de Xira

1st Line of Torres Vedras Circuit

This trail, which follows the initial section of the 1st defensive line between Alhandra and Torres Vedras, is divided into 4 stages so as to allow you to spread your visit over several days, depending on your interests and your physical fitness. It is a circular, self-guided trail. The spaces have been labelled using rocks and / or old tree trunks, as well as wooden panels, to contextualise features in the landscape.

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STAGE 1
Start| Largo de Subserra
Finish | Casal da Entrega redoubt (nº 116)

STAGE 2
Start | Casal da Entrega redoubt (nº 116)
Finish | Novo da Serra do Formoso redoubt (nº 5)

STAGE 3
Start | Novo da Serra do Formoso redoubt (nº 5)
Finish | Fort Chão da Vinha (nº 8)

STAGE 4
Start | Fort Chão da Vinha (nº 8)
Finish | Largo de Subserra

Context | Environment, Culture and Sport

Distance | 17,910 m (trail total)

Difficulty | Easy III; Moderate IV

Recommended season | Year round