Eco-Wolf Trail – Station C – Gondomar Church (3/16)

At this station, you can find a small granite structure built into the wall of a meadow, which in the past served as a shelter for the shepherd, allowing him to remain close to his flock, or to confine young animals such as kids and calves. For this reason, it is also known as a Cabriteira. In addition to providing protection against wolf attacks, this space also functioned as shelter from the rain and, when necessary, as storage for agricultural tools.

The presence of this structure associated with a lameiro, a semi-natural meadow irrigated by a system of channels and essential for livestock grazing, is an excellent example of how local communities shaped the landscape over centuries to sustain pastoral activity. Traditionally, livestock production was based on native breeds, including small ruminants such as Serrana goats and Bordaleira sheep, Barrosã cattle, and Garrana horses, all of which can still be observed along the Eco-Wolf Trail.

In addition to the meadows, there are examples of the diverse agro-pastoral heritage that sustained the local population for centuries, such as various rural structures that took advantage of local geology (namely granite in its various textures and mineral compositions). These include cattle shelters, mills, walls, paved paths, bridges and stepping stones, water pools, shelters for shepherds and animals, as well as ancestral constructions used in wolf hunting, known as Wolf Traps (Fojos do Lobo).

Learn more: Mapa do Percurso e Projeto Trilho Eco-Lobo