Houses built of schist stone, majestic natural surrounding and high hills – typical image of Schist villages in the heart of Portugal. Even though the scenery is breathtaking, living here was not always a piece of cake. Nevertheless, people have found their way of living in this region again, but with a different attitude and activities.
Zé Gaspar is a local guide and a helper of the less physically able. He introduced us to schist villages and revealed some facts about their current situation.The schist villages are located on the highlands around the village of Lousã.Chiqueiro is one of the five schist villages in Lousã. It is populated by two persons who are permanently settled there.One of the owners of the houses Manuel de Carvalho explained that it is necessary to create more opportunities for work and tourism.Many structures throughout the highlands of Lousã are being renovated or reconstructed while retaining their traditional environment.While exploring the area we noticed a lot of unused potential, many structures are sadly falling to ruin or are not being sufficiently maintained.
Marko Jovanović Mária Jánošíková Carlos Borges Emily Camilleri Beatriz Oliveira
Young Reporters for the Environment 