you arrive at the schist village where one person lives
770 metres. It's the highest village in the Aldeias do Xisto network, but that's not why it's worth a mention. Aigra Velha has one registered inhabitant. That's a fact, not hyperbole, and it gives the place its texture.
The village sits on a ridge of the Serra da Lousã, with grazing all around and land still worked by hand. Coming up here isn't about finding a commercial experience. Don't expect a restaurant on standby or a queue for photos; what the village has is what it's always had, at minimum scale.
The neighbouring Aigra Nova is lower down and has more people; up here you get the silence that the Aldeias do Xisto don't normally give you. If you're coming for the emptiness, this is your stop in the network.
good to know
- 770 metres, the highest village in the aldeias do xisto network
- one registered inhabitant
- grazing and small-scale farming still active in the surrounding land
- no commercial services, bring what you need
