Today we're going on a 3-day tour of the Industrial Heritage of Central Portugal. As 3 days is not enough to explore all the options available, I leave you with this suggested itinerary.

During these 3 days we visited Entroncamento, Alcanena, Porto de Mós, Leiria, Marinha Grande, Ílhavo and Estarreja.

What Industrial Tourism is all about

Concept

The aim of Industrial Tourism is to turn factories into living museums of history and stories. Based on the know-how and experiences of those who have often dedicated their entire lives to the industry. It aims to showcase industry through the hands of artisans. From sharing their experiences, routines and daily life in the factories and outside them, including visits to working-class neighborhoods. It is made up of Living Industry and Industrial Heritage.

Industrial Tourism in Central Portugal

In central Portugal, the Industrial Tourism Route is designed as follows:

Beira Baixa; Médio Tejo; Oeste; Região de Coimbra; Região de Leiria; Ria de Aveiro; Serra da Estrela; Viseu, Dão, Lafões.

Where is the Center of Portugal

There are 8 sub-regions that make up Central Portugal (Beira Baixa, Coimbra, Leiria, Médio Tejo, Oeste, Ria de Aveiro, Serra da Estrela, and Viseu Dão Lafões). Central Portugal is bounded to the north by the Northern Region, to the east by Spain, to the south by the Alentejo, to the southwest by the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean.

Suggested itinerary for a 3-day trip

Day 1

National Railway Museum - Entroncamento

History

We started our journey in Entroncamento to visit the National Railway Museum. This museum, which is a reference point for rail lovers and beyond, allows us to learn about the history of more than 160 years of railways in Portugal, but also in Europe and the world.

Visit

Visits can be free or guided. It belongs to a National Network of Railway Museums, made up of several centers that can be visited in different parts of the country.

National Network of Railway Museums:

• National Railway Museum (Entroncamento)
• Museum Center of Arco de Baúlhe (Cabeceiras de Basto)
• Bragança Museum Center (Bragança)
• Chaves Museum Center (Chaves)
• Lousado Museum Center (Vila Nova de Famalicão)
• Macinhata do Vouga Museum Center (Águeda)
• Lagos Museum Center (Lagos)
• Valença Museum Center (Valença)

In the museum we can see not only the locomotives and carriages, but also around 36,000 objects related directly or indirectly to the railroads and their experiences.

The museum's collection is divided into 11 categories:

• Rolling Stock
• Via and Catenary
• Workshop
• Communication
• Information and Signage
• Station and Office
• Tariffs and Ticketing
• Safety and security
• Restoration
• Health
• Documentary assets

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

How to get there

To get to Entroncamento you can use the train. However, for the rest of the route, the best option is to drive your own car or rent one.

The railway lines serving the city of Entroncamento are the Northern and Beira Baixa Railway Lines. It also has connections to the Tomar branch line and the Eastern Line.

The museum is a few minutes' walk from Entroncamento Railway Station. Take the platform towards the viaduct and follow the signs to the entrance.

Schedule e Information

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10h00 to 18h00. Last visit at 17h00. Closed January 1st, Easter Sunday, May 1st, December 25th.
• Free and guided tours.
• Website: https://www.fmnf.pt/pt/visita/planear-visita/
• E-mail: museu@fmnf.pt
• Phone: +351 249 130 382
• Address: Complexo Ferroviário do Entroncamento Rua Eng. Ferreira de Mesquita, nº 1 A 2330-152, Entroncamento

Wool Laundrette - Alcanena

In Alcanena we enter the world of wool. We start with a brief explanation of how the wool gets from the shearing to the washing. Then we see the whole process of washing the wool until it goes to the spinning mill, which will be our next stop. Washing is the first stage in the wool processing process.

Multilãs Factory - Spinning I - Porto de Mós

In Porto de Mós we visited the Multilãs factory, responsible for the Chicoração brand. We followed the entire spinning process (the transformation of the wool branch into yarn) until we obtained the final products. Blankets, coats and key rings are some examples of what we can find in the showroom and in the retail stores in Lisbon.

MIAT - Industrial and Artisanal Textile Museum - Porto de Mós

We continue on to Porto de Mós, and the last place to visit on this first day of the trip is MIAT (the Industrial and Artisanal Textile Museum).

The Museum is located in an old carpet factory (Tapetes Vitória) and was born from the dream of Mr. José Paulo Baptista, a businessman linked to the tourism industry and himself a traveler, who acquired the old carpet factory, where he idealized MIAT. He has collected objects related to this industry from around the world. Although the museum's main objective is to pay tribute to the textile industry of Mira de Aire and Minde, one of the major centers of the Portuguese textile industry in the 20th century.

The museum has a permanent exhibition, which allows us to learn about the processes of transforming wool throughout history. The permanent exhibition includes information panels, machinery and equipment from the textile industry.

One of the museum's curiosities is the recreation of a tailor's shop on the site of the former factory's brewhouse/creche.

Schedule e Information

• Hours: 10h00 - 13h00 and 14h00 - 18h00 (Closed on Mondays)
• Website:https://www.miat.pt/#visitar
• Telephone: 244 449 269
  Mobile: 925 986 502
  Email: miat@miat.pt
• Address:Rua das Grutas, 593 2485-059 Mira de Aire

Day 2

Maceira-Liz Cement Museum - Leiria

Of all the places we visited, this was my favorite, perhaps because I never thought that a museum in a cement factory could be so interesting.

Before we start our visit, we have to "suit up" and comply with all the safety rules while we're inside the factory. The museum is located within the industrial complex of the Secil cement company in Maceira, Leiria. The plant is in continuous operation, which means that it never stops and that while we are visiting, work is going on at the plant, which is why it is essential to follow all the safety rules, particularly with regard to walking along the indicated paths and following the signs.

To give us the guided tour, we had former employees of the factory, who spent their entire lives in the factory complex. The factory had a great social component. With infrastructures designed and developed for the workers.

But what can we find in the Museum?

The museum consists of:

• Central Core
• Turbo-Generator Plant
• Locomotive No. 1
• Line III Museum Circuit
• Documentation and Interpretation Center
• Observatory
• Jurassic Garden
• Water Park

Schedule e Information

• Schedule:
• The visit requires prior booking.
  First Tuesday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  First Saturday and Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• There is also the possibility of occasional opening on other days by appointment.
• Website:https://www.secil-group.com/museu/
• Phone: 244 779 900
• Address:2405-019 Maceira - LRA
• E-mail: maceira@secil.pt

Glass Museum - Marinha Grande

In Marinha Grande we'll learn about the industry that revolutionized this region. The museum was inaugurated in 1998 and is housed in an 18th century palace that was the residence of Guilherme Stephens, who was responsible for the expansion of the glass industry in Marinha Grande. The history of Marinha Grande is closely linked to that of the English entrepreneur.

But who was Guilherme Stephens anyway?

If there are people who have an impact on the world, we can say that Guilherme Stephens changed the destiny of Marinha Grande. An English entrepreneur, founder of the Real Fábrica de vidros da Marinha Grande (Royal Glass Factory of Marinha Grande), and still known by many as the father of Marinha Grande. The admiration and gratitude for the English businessman has been passed down from generation to generation among the old workers and locals.

Also known for his great care and concern for the workers, he founded a school for workers, a first aid post, a pension plan, a sickness fund, and promoted culture.

Visit the Museum

Over three floors, the museum has a magnificent collection of technical glass jars, decorative glass, glassware, vases and commemorative collections. We also learn about the history of this industry over the centuries.

Timetable and Information

• Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays and public holidays January 1st, Easter Sunday and December 25th.
• Guided tours by appointment.
• Website:http://www.cm-mgrande.pt
• Phone: 244573377
• Address: Praça Guilherme Stephens, 2430-520 Marinha Grande

Live Crafts

Outside the building that houses the Glass Museum, on the other side of the garden, we find a space where we can see two artisans working on glass by hand, using lapidary and blowtorch techniques.

Mário Macatrão shows us his technique with the blowtorch, while telling us a little about his life story and how it "blends" with the history of the glass industry itself.

Another craftsman we had the opportunity to meet was José Medeiros. He showed us and explained how glass is cut.

The pieces that come out of her hands can be bought in the store inside the atelier.

Vidrexport Factory - Marinha Grande

After the glass museum we go to see how glass is made. This is the only factory in Marinha Grande where you can still watch glass being blown. Here we can watch this technique up close, in the middle of the factory, while the craftsmen carry out their work with the utmost precision. This visit is a great complement to the glass museum.

 Whoever doesn't blow has already blown

This phrase is like a popular saying in Marinha Grande (it's related to the blown glass technique, which we had the opportunity to see in this factory in full operation). It's also related to the identity of the people of Marinha Grande, and reminds us that everyone is connected in some way to this industry.

This way of working glass (blown glass) is now used to produce decorative pieces, commemorative items or small collections.

Schedule e Information

• E-mail: geral@vidrexport.com 

Day 3

Vista Alegre Museum and Factory - Ílhavo

Now let's enter the world of porcelain. This was the second time I've visited the Vista Alegre Museum and Factory and it's always a visit in which I learn more about the factory.

The most striking feature of the museum is the oven at the entrance, which you can see in the background of the video I made with Sónia Oliveira from Turismo Centro de Portugal (which you can find at the end of this article).

Here we learn about the history of the factory since 1824, when it was founded by José Ferreira Pinto Basto. We can see various collections and the evolution of ceramics, design and painting associated with the brand, which has reinvented itself over time.

We also visited the hand-painting studio, where eager hands bring beautiful pieces to life. We also had the chance to take part in a ceramics and painting workshop, which was a lot of fun, but handicrafts are definitely not my strong suit. 🙂

The Vista Alegre site also includes the Chapel in honor of Our Lady of Penha de França, the Theatre, the Workers' Quarter, and the Vista Alegre stores, the Outlet and the Bordalo Pinheiro store.

Schedule e Information

• Vista Alegre Museum Daily
• May to September: 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.-October to April: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.24 and December 31 the museum closes at 6 p.m.
• Access to the exhibitions is until 45m before closing time
• Factory Manual Painting Workshop
  Working days: 10 a.m. - 6.30 p.m. Annual closure during the summer and Christmas vacationsVisit to the ChapelDailyFrom May to September, from 10.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.30From October to April, from 10.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.By appointment and ticket purchase at the museum reception (subject to availability)Vista Alegre, Outlet and Bordalo Pinheiro stores
• Daily, from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Closing Days January 1st, Easter Sunday, December 25thFree admission daysMuseum's permanent exhibition
  Second Sunday of the month
  May 18 (International Museum Day) and June 18 (the museum's anniversary)
  These dates may be changed for scheduling reasonsOur Lady of Penha de França Chapel
  April 18th (International Day of Monuments and Sites)
  First weekend of July (Celebrations in Honor of Our Lady of Penha de França)
  These dates may be changed for scheduling reasons

Practical Guide

Where to sleep and eat

Suggested Dinner and Accommodation - Montebelo Vista Alegre - Ílhavo

Restaurant "O Mercado" - Estarreja

Showcooking experience and accommodation at cooking & Nature / Nest - Porto de Mós

 

Hello Darling" Restaurant - Marinha Grande

Video - Industrial Tourism in the Center of Portugal

A conversation with Sónia Oliveira from Turismo Centro de Portugal.

Learn more about Industrial Tourism

You can find out more about Industrial Tourism HERE.

You can travel with me on one of the many group trips I lead

Group trips you can take with me


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  Trip made at the invitation of Turismo Centro de Portugal.

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