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Bear Seat of the Old Ravine

Category: Archaeology > Bee Shelter

District: Braga > Terras de Bouro > Campo do Gerês

Location

Located in the heart of the Peneda-Gerês National Park, in the parish of Campo do Gerês, municipality of Terras de Bouro, the Silha dos Ursos do Corro do Velho is immersed in a natural setting of great beauty and grandeur. Its location transports the visitor to a mountainous landscape, dominated by oak forests and granite, where silence is punctuated only by the sounds of nature and the breeze that sweeps across the slopes.

This ancient site offers a unique perspective on human interaction with the wild environment that once characterized these mountains, providing an experience of deep immersion in the untouched nature of Northern Portugal.

Vestige of a Wild Past

The Silha dos Ursos do Corro do Velho represents a remarkable example of human ingenuity in the face of nature's challenges. This robust stone structure, built with local granite, once served as an ingenious system for capturing bears, animals that populated the Gerês mountains and represented a threat to flocks and rural communities.

Its intelligent design allowed animals to enter but made it difficult for them to leave, demonstrating a deep understanding of fauna behavior and ingenious adaptation to the surrounding environment. This type of construction reveals the survival and defense strategies of past mountain populations, where life was intrinsically linked to the cycles and challenges of nature.

Rural Heritage and Memory

More than just a trap, the Silha dos Ursos do Corro do Velho is a tangible link to the memory of a time when coexistence with wild fauna was a daily reality and, at times, a challenge. Its presence recalls the complex relationships between the mountain inhabitants and the ecosystem that surrounded them, revealing the creativity and persistence of previous generations in safeguarding their livelihoods.

The robustness of its granite construction, which resists time and weather, highlights the durability and wisdom of ancestral construction techniques, perfectly integrated into the landscape and rural way of life. It is a silent testament to a resilient mountain culture and its deep respect for, and at the same time struggle for survival against, the forces of nature.

Natural Scenery and Contemplation

Set within an environment of unparalleled natural beauty, a visit to the Silha dos Ursos do Corro do Velho also offers an opportunity for landscape contemplation. The site is situated on a hillside that provides unobstructed views of the rugged reliefs of Gerês, where the green of the vegetation blends with the gray tones of the rocks and watercourses wind through the valleys.

This serene environment invites reflection on the vastness of nature and the almost mystical presence of a past where the brown bear dominated these parts, leaving a legacy of stories and structures like this one, which serve as a bridge between the present and an era of greater wildness and harmony with the natural environment.

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

Coordinates DD: 41.755812754545, -8.1809940454545
Coordinates DMS: 41°45'20.9"N 08°10'51.6"W

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