Wolf's Den of Gondomar

Category: Nature > Reserva natural

District: Braga > Vila Verde > Lugar de Bemposta > Fojo do Lobo

Location

The Gondomar Wolf Trap is located in the parish of Gondomar, in the municipality of Vila Verde, in the area known as Fojo do Lobo, within the place of Bemposta. This site is situated on one of the slopes of the Serra Amarela, at an average altitude of about 576 meters. Its surroundings are markedly rural, characterized by dense vegetation that embraces the stone structure, creating an environment of communion with the surrounding nature.

An Ancestral Heritage

The Gondomar Wolf Trap is a unique testament to a past when the interaction between humans and nature was more direct. This remarkable structure served as an ancestral trap, designed to protect flocks and rural communities from wolf attacks. It is considered one of the largest and best-preserved on the Iberian Peninsula, and its existence symbolizes the lives and ingenuity of the people of Gondomar in the face of the challenges of their time.

The Trap's Architecture

The construction of the fojo reveals remarkable popular engineering. It presents itself as an extensive V-shaped structure, composed of two long and high walls made of granite stone. These walls converge at a specific point, where a circular pit is located, also lined with granite. It was to this pit, sometimes camouflaged with vegetation, that the wolves were progressively led and trapped. The total length of the wall can reach about 2 kilometers, and it is possible to observe the moss and lichens on the stones that time has deposited there, giving it a natural patina.

In the Heart of Nature

Beyond its historical and architectural interest, the Wolf Trap offers an environment of deep immersion in nature. Surrounded by dense vegetation, including trees, shrubs, and creeping plants in various shades of green and brown, the place invites tranquility. Observing the branches scattered on the ground and the life that develops on the stones, such as mosses and lichens, contributes to a serene experience and a connection with the natural environment of the Serra Amarela. Although wolf hunting is now a prohibited practice and the species is protected, the fojo remains a symbol of collective memory and the region's natural wealth.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt