The municipalities of Nelas, Mangualde, Fornos de Algodres and Gouveia presented the tourism project "Express of the Upper Mondego", developed in partnership with CP – Comboios de Portugal and private operators. The initiative brings together two municipalities from the Viseu district and two from the Guarda district, linked territorially by the Serra da Estrela, the Mondego river and the Beira Alta railway line, with an investment of 511 thousand euros, funded 70% by Turismo Centro de Portugal and 30% by the four municipalities.
The project started in May and should be completed in May 2028, aiming to create a common tourist route with a single platform where visitors can browse and purchase different experiences available in the territory. According to Áurea Gonçalves, from the company Ruris responsible for the development, the intention is to allow the purchase of one-day or multi-day packages, with the possibility of using the train upon arrival in the region. The project also includes the availability of 40 electric bicycles, ten in each municipality, at the railway stations.
The mayor of Nelas, Joaquim Amaral, highlighted the complementarity between the four municipalities and considered that network work allows strengthening the valorization of the territory through a tourism investment based on sustainability. The councilor of Mangualde, Rosalina Alegre, considered that the initiative could strengthen the tourism attractiveness of the Viseu Dão Lafões region, while the mayor of Fornos de Algodres, Alexandre Lote, underlined the importance of intermunicipal cooperation. The president of Gouveia, Jorge Ferreira, highlighted the particularity of the project involving municipalities belonging to two different intermunicipal communities. The application of the route to the Biosphere certification, linked to tourism sustainability, is planned.
