The Monastery of Santa Maria de Arouca, classified as a National Monument, with its baroque church and the tomb of Queen Saint Mafalda
The Paiva Walkways, wooden boardwalks that follow the river for eight kilometres through wild valley scenery
The Ponte 516 Arouca, a suspended pedestrian bridge over the Paiva canyon, one of the longest in the world
The Arouca Geopark and the Trilobite Museum, with fossils dating back 465 million years found in the region
The Calvário, a Mannerist ensemble of religious significance located on the outskirts of the town
about the place
Arouca lies in the interior of the District of Aveiro, nestled between mountain ranges and cut through by the river Paiva, in a landscape of granite, oak trees and cold-water channels. The Municipality received its first royal charter from D. Afonso Henriques in April 1151, confirmed by D. Afonso II in 1217, and a new royal charter from D. Manuel in 1513. At the heart of the town stands the Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Arouca, founded in the 10th century, which shaped the life and the surrounding territory for centuries.
