From north to south, there are several charming villages to discover, such as Sortelha or Pena – one of the smallest. However, almost none have the uniqueness of Rio de Onor. Located in the municipality of Bragança, this village is crossed by the international border between Portugal and Spain.
On one side we have Rio de Onor and on the ‘nuestros hermanos’ side we have Rihonor de Castilla. One village, two different denominations, two countries – and one community. It is precisely this peculiarity that gives this place such a special aura. Surrounded by the greenery of the Montesinho Natural Park, it ‘s worth getting up close and personal with its bucolic atmosphere.
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Rio de Onor: a community village
Before we list some points of interest to visit, it’s worth highlighting a few curiosities about this place, particularly because it is a community village. In the days when the practice of agriculture dominated, the oven, the mills, the land and even the livestock were shared. In other words, everything belonged to everyone, in a unique spirit of mutual help.
The story goes that the sharing of tasks among the villagers was taken so seriously that there was even an exclusive way of ‘applying the law’. What does this mean? Those who committed infractions were sanctioned not by a court or other authority, but by the ‘rod of justice’. Fines were (usually) paid in wine.
Neither Portuguese nor Castilian…
Not only did the community’s past go down in history, but also the existence of its own dialect. This means that, once upon a time, neither Portuguese nor Castilian were spoken here, let alone ‘portunhol’.
In this context, the main role was given to Rionorez, a dialect that descended from a variant of Asturo-Leonese. A curiosity that shows that the border was merely a formality.
What to see in Rio de Onor?
Today, the reality is different. Gone are the days when farming dominated and almost all the young people left the village. Even so, there are still a few dozen inhabitants (around 50, they say) on the Portuguese side and around 20 on the Spanish side. In recent years, however, tourism has somewhat rejuvenated this place.
Famous for its location and history, Rio de Onor is a charming village with its stone and schist houses and Roman bridge. It doesn’t take long to walk from one village to the next. But we recommend that you take your time and talk to the locals who benefit from the wisdom of age.
In any case, don’t leave without visiting these points of interest:
- Casa do Touro: this is a museum that tells the story of the village and owes its name to the fact that it used to be the place where the community bull was kept.
- Mother Church: this is usually closed to the public, but it’s worth stopping by and taking a few photos
- Roman Bridge: one of the village’s most emblematic landmarks
- Community Mill.
How do I get to Rio de Onor?
There are no train connections to the village, so the quickest way to get there is by car. In all, from Porto the journey takes about 2h30 along the A4 to Bragança, followed by the EN218 and EN308, for a total of more than 230 km.
If you’re planning to visit the village, then you should know that there are some rural tourism houses where you can stay overnight. Otherwise, sleeping in Bragança isn’t a bad idea either, given its proximity.
In any case, this is a destination for those who appreciate places with unusual stories, with a pure, bucolic essence that takes us back to the simplicity of other times!