Aldeias do Xisto
Aldeias do Xisto (dt .: villages of slate) is a group of villages in the Portuguese region of Região Centro , which are known for their slate buildings.
history
_-_indica%C3%A7%C3%A3o.jpg)
In order to counteract the structural decay and the migration from the traditional slate villages of the Pinhal Interior Sul and Pinhal Interior Norte regions , the regional administration took up the suggestion of some student groups and other initiatives in the region and started a corresponding program in 2001 under the name Programa das Aldeias do Xisto ( German: Program of the slate villages). The preservation of the houses, but also the craft, gastronomic and cultural traditions of the villages were the declared aim of the project work, which also wanted to promote the creation of the tourist brand Aldeias do Xisto for the purpose of economic revitalization. 24 villages from 14 districts ( concelhos ) were included in the program after the relevant district administrations had applied for participation with development plans.
The project was funded with an initial 25 million euros, which came from government funds, private investments and 70% from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, port .: FEDER). The profitability calculation of the project required an initial minimum of 100,000 visitors, which was clearly exceeded with 350,000 to 400,000 visitors in 2006.
The project, which was run in cooperation with 16 district administrations ( Câmara Municipal ) and supported by around 70 local gastronomy, tourism and event companies, has since developed a large number of offers and activities. The Aldeias do Xisto became known for their originality and the contact with the inhabitants, and since then they have been particularly suitable for visitors who are interested in nature-based activities such as hiking , white water paddling or canoeing , or in original traditions in gastronomy and handicrafts.
In the meantime, the agency ADXTUR - Agência para o Desenvolvimento Turístico das Aldeias do Xisto (German: Agency for the tourist development of the slate villages ) was founded, which now bundles the activities of the Aldeias do Xisto . ADXTUR is a non-profit association under private law, which all private and legal persons and public institutions can join. Its public seat is in Casa Grande, a 17th century mansion in Barroca (Fundão) . Members of the association are u. a. 55 regional district and municipal administrations and their tourism offices, 85 hotels, campsites and guest houses, 20 tourism operators, 23 regional associations and citizens' initiatives, five cafés and 44 restaurants.
Conception
The original idea was to preserve and promote the villages threatened by rural exodus and decay by restoring them, equipping them with tourist infrastructure and approaching the public with uniform marketing in order to trigger economic impulses. For this purpose, the concept of a relaxing holiday was developed in pristine villages, which are surrounded by intact and varied nature, have been cautiously restored and furnished in accordance with contemporary design. Sustainability in relation to the environment and the livelihood of the residents was a key point of the concept, the involvement of the residents and the natural contact between them and the visitors was another. Therefore, one did not turn to the means of international mass tourism , but to tourism rural and the individual local conditions. Also to accessibility , the project strives to to to disabled visitors make offers.
The concept of the slate villages is continuously developed, for example through projects such as the one with the Design Academy Eindhoven to further upgrade and preserve the villages, or with the shops of the project. Supraregional mountain bike competitions, sub-projects such as Fado concert series, the Aldeias do Xisto jazz festival , the route of the rock paintings (port .: arte rupreste ) of the affiliated villages, or the signposted hiking and rally trails along the Aldeias do Xisto all apply different target groups.
reception
The concept has now been established and is considered successful. Since then , the Aldeias do Xisto have become increasingly popular both domestically and internationally , especially for the combination of varied nature and the authentic, well-preserved villages that have preserved their own lives and are not a target of organized mass tourism. Occasionally there is also cultural or interest-related friction between long-established residents, dropouts who settle here, and small businesses who want to market the tourist offer. However, the general benefits for the economically disadvantaged and highly threatened villages remain undisputed, and the local population is mostly positive about the project. The villages, which have been isolated for a long time, and their continued remote location do not allow too large a flow of visitors, and the residents treat visitors with benevolence and impartiality. Tourism is also seen here as an invigorating element and an opportunity to keep traditions alive and to market local products.
Today the term Aldeias do Xisto is known nationwide and is often used as a generic term for the traditional villages of the region, for example in press reports about seasonal wildlife observations or at cultural events in villages in the region. The Aldeias do Xisto have also been presented in travel programs on television .
.JPG)
The project continues to gain recognition. This is also reflected in the growing number of visitors, also increasingly from within Germany, despite the country's economic recession as a result of the international banking crisis. The number of overnight stays rose from 10,000 in 2008 to over 45,000 in 2012. International attention has also increased since the start of the project. In 2008 , the Aldeias do Xisto were recognized as a travel destination at the awards ceremony for the Golden Palm of the travel magazine GEO Saison . In the same year, an initiative funded by Norway was launched, which trained young Norwegian and Portuguese craftsmen in traditional construction methods by old local craftsmen in order to preserve the historical fabric of the villages and to increase the number of usable buildings.
The stores of the project
With the shops of the project, the Lojas Aldeias do Xisto , the project has a growing number of its own shops, both in project villages and in large cities. At the end of 2012 there were shops in the cities of Barcelona , Porto and Lisbon , and in the villages of Aigra Nova , Barroca , Benfeita , Candal , Martim Branco , Fajão , Figueira , and Casal de São Simão . Two shops have recently opened in Coimbra and the village of Álvaro .
In the shops, which are mostly designed by designers, handmade traditional utensils from the villages are offered, some of which have also been redesigned by contemporary designers. Traditional specialties from the slate villages are also sold, such as special cheese and sausage products.
The shops in the villages also serve as an advertising forum to make the slate villages and their tourist offer better known. In this context, information events, seasonal special sales and exhibitions take place in the Lojas Aldeias do Xisto .
The villages
Not all places in the Região Centro known for their slate architecture were included due to a lack of application or a development plan. Most recently, 27 villages were involved in the project.
|
|
|
Web links
- Official website
- Aldeias do Xisto blog
- Photos of the Aldeias do Xisto by photographer Nicolas van Ryk
- Comprehensive article on the Aldeias do Xisto from August 2, 2008 in the Hamburger Abendblatt
Individual evidence
- ↑ Programa das Aldeias do Xisto ( Memento of August 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Aldeias de Xisto dinamizam interior ( Memento from April 17, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
- ↑ Article of November 19, 2010 in the daily newspaper Jornal de Notícias . (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; accessed on January 10, 2020 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )
- ↑ www.erlebniswelt.com , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ Statutes of ADXTUR ( Memento of 3 March 2012 at the Internet Archive ) (Portuguese PDF; 133 kB)
- ↑ Parceiros e Associados ( Memento of March 3, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ www.terrasdeportugal.com , accessed November 24, 2012
- ↑ Article of November 25, 2008 in the daily newspaper Jornal de Notícias , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ Summer Design & Intervention Workshops in Aldeias do Xisto Portugal ( Memento from August 24, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ www.gpsies.com , accessed November 24
- ↑ www.visitcentro.com (German), accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ Article of May 21, 2012 in the daily newspaper Diário de Notícias , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ www.arterupreste.aldeiasdoxisto.pt , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ www.landlousa.pt , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ www.lonelyplanet.com , accessed November 24, 2012
- ^ Lydia Hohenberger, Jürgen Strohmaier: Portugal. 2nd edition, DuMont Reiseverlag, Ostfildern 2009, page 204f ( ISBN 978-3-7701-7658-8 )
- ↑ www.changemakers.com , accessed November 24, 2012
- ^ Article from March 27, 2011 in the FAZ , accessed on January 20, 2013
- ↑ www.wissen.de , accessed on January 20, 2013
- ^ Article of September 18, 2012 in the daily newspaper Público , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ Descobrir as Aldeias do Xisto! ( Memento from November 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Article from October 10, 2012 in the weekly Expresso , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ Aldeias de Xisto cativam cada vez mais estrangeiros ( Memento from June 6, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ www.presseportal.de , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ Article of May 12, 2008 in the daily newspaper Jornal de Notícias , accessed on November 24, 2012
- ↑ Criar com Tradição ( Memento of November 7, 2012 in the Internet Archive )