Travel Guide Covilhã

Covilhã (54,500 inhabitants) is one of the gateways to the Serra Estrela. It was King Sancho I who fortified it in the 12th century. Henry the Navigator was given the title of Senhor de Covilhã and several great Portuguese explorers and scientists were born here (Pêro da Covilhã, Afonso de Paiva, Rui Faleiro, Francisco Faleiro...). It is the wool industry that made the success of the city. Developed by the Jewish community from the 12th to the 15th century, it took off in the 18th century with the creation of the largest woolen centre in the country. To see: the Jewish quarter, the wool museum and the Carpinteira pedestrian bridge (52 m high and 229 m long).