Ponte de Lima | Viana do Castelo | Portugal
Ponte de Lima is Portugal’s oldest village, where Roman roads, medieval bridges, and mountain breezes shape a timeless legacy.
Nestled between the Arga hills and the Oural peaks, Ponte de Lima enjoys a unique microclimate shaped by the surrounding mountains — a landscape that feels almost Mediterranean in northern Portugal.
This village grew around a key Roman road, which crossed the Lima River on a bridge built during Emperor Augustus’ reign — part of a vital route between Portugal and Galicia throughout the Middle Ages.
Centuries later, in the 14th century, a striking medieval bridge with eighteen arches (three now buried beneath Praça de Camões) replaced the Roman structure, marking a new era of connectivity and trade.
Due to its strategic position on the north-south route, Ponte de Lima became an important settlement, receiving its charter in 1125 from Countess Teresa, and later protected by fortified walls with nine towers and six gates, commissioned by King Pedro I in 1359.
Today, Ponte de Lima is a living monument to Portugal’s layered past — a place where history, architecture, and natural beauty merge in perfect harmony.