Bicycle route with seven kilometers will “unite” Castelo de Vide and Marvão
The municipalities of Castelo de Vide and Marvão, in the district of Portalegre, intend to launch a project of 500 thousand euros for the creation of a cycle path linking the two municipalities, extending seven kilometers.
The cycleway to connect the town of Castelo de Vide to the village of Portagem, in the municipality of Marvão, is expected to be completed in 2021, according to the presidents of the two municipalities of Alto Alentejo.
“We are currently at an early stage, doing preliminary work and institutional contacts, and then submitting an application for community funding,” António Pita, Mayor of Castelo de Vide, explained.
In the opinion of the mayor, the project will provide the offer of a “safe” itinerary between two points with “strategic importance” and “great interest” tourism.
In addition to a path that promotes pedestrian and velociped circulation, the two municipalities provide a “panoramic route of unusual landscape and tourist value”.
The planned route includes, from Castelo de Vide, the passage through the Circunvalation Road, Prado, National Highway (EN) 246, Escusa, Caleiras and the “tunnel of the closed trees”, composed of centennial ash trees, to the village of Portagem , in Marvão.
“If all goes well, this project could be implemented in 2021. Let’s work for it,” added the mayor of Castelo de Vide.
The mayor of Marvão, Luís Vitorino, considered that the intermunicipal initiative is a “surplus value” in tourist terms, since the two counties “do not live without the other.”
Stressing that the two territories are located in the Natural Park of Serra de São Mamede, the mayor of Marvão said there is a need to “provide conditions and provide a varied offer” to all those who visit both municipalities.
“We have a good offer in terms of hotels and restaurants, but we need this kind of projects like bread to mouth,” he added.
Luís Vitorino said that he has already requested a meeting with the Minister of Planning and Infrastructures, Pedro Marques, to discuss the project, as the route foresees the passage through the “tunnel of the closed trees” and the creation of an alternative section for the transit of cars .
“The track would pass through the ‘tunnel of trees’ and could be a solution to that space, with the creation of an alternative road, but if it is not the bike path will pass a bridge between the tunnel and the Marvão golf course” , said.
