Guimarães inaugurates new Ecovias sections and reinforces environmental commitment

This Saturday, Guimarães inaugurated new sections of the municipality’s Ecovias, located on the banks of the Ave and Selho rivers.

During the inauguration, those present walked along some of the routes that are already accessible to the population, such as the route between the Barco Leisure Park and the Taipas Leisure Park, which is around 2.5 kilometres long; in Brito, between Rua dos 8 Moinhos and a stretch of 800 metres; and the link between Pencelo and Fermentões, which connects Rua de Santo António to the Roldes Park, a two-kilometre route. The new routes cover the parishes of Barco, Caldelas, Brito, Pencelo and Fermentões, in a bid to create a greener and more sustainable city.

The mayor of Guimarães, Domingos Bragança, highlighted the importance of scientific knowledge and community involvement in the realisation of the Ave and Selho Rivers Linear Nature Park, a project that aims to enhance the territory and return a continuous riparian corridor to the community. The mayor praised the role of the Landscape Laboratory and VITRUS in implementing the initiative, underlining the choice to naturalise the ecovia, using sustainable materials in harmony with the natural ecosystem. Domingos Bragança also emphasised the importance of the Green Brigades and the cooperation of parish councils and landowners in the construction of this ecological route, inviting citizens to enjoy this space in their daily routine and reinforcing that environmental preservation is a collective commitment to the present and future generations.

For Domingos Bragança, the aim is to link the entire course of the rivers in the municipality of Guimarães by means of an ecovia, although he considers that making the continuum to the mouth of the River Ave, in collaboration with other municipalities, is a goal to be pursued.

The president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), José Pimenta Machado, emphasised the importance of using nature-based solutions in environmental regeneration, stressing that interventions of the same nature as the Ave and Selho Rivers Linear Nature Park must respect ecosystems and promote the well-being of the population. During the ceremony, he praised the political leadership and community involvement that have made Guimarães a national and European benchmark in sustainability. Pimenta Machado recalled the challenges overcome in obtaining funding and announced that, by the end of March, an order will be published that will guarantee more resources for the recovery of rivers and streams. The head of the APA also stressed the need to base decisions on scientific knowledge and to raise public awareness of the importance of sustainable water management, recognising the contribution of the younger generations in building a more balanced and responsible future.

The Guimarães Ecovias are structuring projects under development that promote the preservation of the municipality’s natural heritage and landscape. With a strong commitment to sustainability, these routes are designed to encourage soft mobility, contact with nature and the practice of outdoor activities, contributing to the creation of Guimarães’ first linear park, which will include the rehabilitation of mills and weirs for new uses, as well as the creation of themed gardens and ‘contemplation areas’.

It should be remembered that this project is being developed by the municipality of Guimarães and the Landscape Laboratory, with the support of Vitrus Ambiente, and is funded by the Recovery Assistance Initiative for Cohesion and Territories in Europe (REACT-EU), of the COMPETE 2020 Operational Programme, within the scope of the REACTivar Guimarães: Renaturalisation of the Green Corridors of the Ave, Selho and Vizela Rivers initiative. The aim is to recover and renaturalise the riverbanks by removing invasive species, applying natural engineering techniques in areas susceptible to erosion and planting native species.

Through the expansion of Ecovias, Guimarães continues to strengthen its leadership position in the area of sustainability and promote a better quality of life for its citizens, in line with the goal of making the city greener and more environmentally friendly, as recognised by the European Green Capital 2026 award.