Towns and Villages

A quiet city that gained in importance and increased its prosperity as a ship-building yard at the time of the Maritime Discoveries.

The sea has always had a major influence on the life of the local inhabitants, inspiring the motifs used in the famous bobbin lace that has been produced here at least since the seventeenth century. Later, the techniques and knowledge of this remarkable art spread all along the rest of the northern coast of Portugal as far as Galicia itself, and some of its beautiful products can be appreciated at the local Lace Museum.

The important role played by handicraft in the life of this city is not limited to its lace-work, however, for each year in July/August, Vila do Conde plays host to the National Handicraft Fair, one of the most important events of this kind in Portugal.