Baião is a municipality in the district of Oporto, about 73 km from Oporto. To the South is the Douro river, to the Northwest the River Tâmega, to the North and Northeast the Marão mountain range.

The settlement of these lands began many years ago. It is thought to have been in the 5th or 4th millennium B.C. (from 5,000 to 4,500 B.C. – the Neolithic period) that the first settlements appeared, these close to water courses. In the mountains of Aboboreira and Castelo de Matos, archaeological studies have revealed the existence of an enormous megalithic necropolis – one of the largest in Portugal – which has about forty Mamoas already identified. The Celts would have been the first people to stay here longer. Its domain in this region is strongly marked by Castros, Menhirs and other archaeological finds. Their culture has always remained in this Marão enclave and its presence can still be felt today.

At the transition from the High to the Low Middle Ages, the land of Baião was formed, land that was dominated by a castle – the Castelo de Matos (of Sueva foundation), which was the old Castle of Penalva. Later, D. João I gave the lands of Baião to a relative of the Constable D. Nuno Álvares Pereira. Having returned to the Crown at the time of D. João II, Baião received a charter from D. Manuel I on September 1st 1513.

Baião is the municipality with the highest percentage of green area and forest in the district of Porto. It has several natural resources that are of unique beauty, such as Serra da Aboboreira, Serra do Marão, Serra do Castelo de Matos or the rivers Douro, Teixeira and Ovil.

The county of Baião is famous for the quality of its meats, where the smoked meats and the oven-roasted anho (young lamb) are kings, not forgetting its generous wines. And to further enhance this and other traditions, gastronomic initiatives are held every year – the Feira do Fumeiro e do Cozido à Portuguesa, which takes place in March or April and the Festival do Anho Assado e do Arroz de Forno, which takes place in July. At the same time as these initiatives, there is a wine and handicraft exhibition, with special emphasis on basketry and canes from Gestaçô. For traditional sweets, the highlight is the Biscoito da Teixeira. There is also plenty of traditional music from the region.

Baião is also the homeland of some illustrious personalities, where stand out the names of Soeiro Pereira Gomes – neo-realist writer, António Mota – also a writer and Bernardo Augusto de Madureira e Vasconcelos – theologian, poet and writer.

To visit:

• Baião Mother Church
• Gôve Mother Church
• Ancede Mother Church
• Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Bom Despacho
• Convent and Monastery of Santo André de Ancede (1113)
• Anta da Aboboreira
• Baião Youth and Sports House
• Casa das Bengalas de Gestaçô
• Casa do Lavrador – Rural and Ethnographic Museum
• Interpretation Centre for Wine and Vine
• Serra da Aboboreira Megalithic Complex
• Eça de Queiroz Foundation – Museum Centre
• Archaeology Nucleus – Baião Municipal Museum

Festivities and Pilgrimages:

• Feira do Fumeiro e do Cozido à Portuguesa, in March or April
• Festival do Anho Assado e do Arroz de Forno, in July
• São Bartolomeu Festivities, 24 August