The gateway to Serra da Estrela and the centre of regional tourism, this woolen making region, the cradle of the sixteenth century discoverers is today a cosmopolitan town.

To the South East of the Serra da Estrela, Covilhã, with its 50.000 inhabitants, is one of the country’s major cities. Located 20 km from the highest point on mainland Portugal (Torre - 2,000 meters) it rises between 450 and 800 meters of altitude. For centuries the town has had its own special features while at the same time contributed towards the reality of Portugal.

The woolen industry has existed here for 800 years, today mainly found in modern industrial mills. Covilhã is one of the main wool producing centers  in Europe. Back in the Middle Age Covilhã was one of the main towns in the kingdom, further enhanced by the fact that some important people born in the city itself or in the surrounding district were determining personalities in all the major discoveries made in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries: crossing the Atlantic, the sea route to India, the discovery of America and Brazil, the first voyage to circumnavigate the globe.

Covilhã is located in the centre of a region where eight out of the ten Portuguese historical villages are located.

It is the closest town to the winter resort where the only Portuguese ski slopes are located, which are reached through some magnificent mountain scenery.

 It is a technological centre where the University of Beira Interior, which receives around 5.000 students studying a variety of courses, is located.

At its feet stretches a rich, fertile valley, with excellent conditions for fruit growing (cherries, peaches, apples and pears) and vineyards - the Cova da Beira.

Covilhã was granted its first charter in 1186 and since then has been extremely important historically, culturally and economically in Portugal’s life.