“Descansemos aqui… e vamos todos tomar um folgosinho de ar!” (Let us rest here... and let us all take a “little breath” of air). These were D. Afonso Henriques (or D. Sancho I, the legend diverges) orders to his men, delighted that he had conquered the pure air and crystal waters of that difficult-to-reach village, on the northern slope of Serra da Estrela. And so, during a rest stop in the pursuit of the Moors, the village of Folgosinho (little breath) was baptized.

But the king of Portugal would not have been the first illustrious to lose himself in those slopes. Folgosinho people still claim that the village is the birthplace of Viriato, the Portuguese hero in the fight against the Romans. It is said that it was Viriato who laid the first stones of the castle - a fortification that is certainly quite different from the one we find at the top of the village these days. Rebuilt in 1938, the wall of Folgosinho - an “invented castle”, as some call it - is today a circular structure only 10 meters in diameter. But that does not take away its charm: erected in pink-white quartz, it is a unique construction and offers a breath-taking view over the horizon, as far as the eye can see.

Along with the castle, the rich and varied gastronomy (kid goat, lamb, cabidela (or blood) rice, wild boar feijoada, Serra da Estrela cheese, curd cheese with pumpkin jam, rice pudding made with sheep's milk, among other delicacies) also attracts tourists to Folgosinho. But there is much more to see in this bucolic village of brave men, full of fountains, and streets decorated with popular sayings.