Handcraft

A product of local handcraft and internationally revealed through tourism as one of Portugal’s most well known symbols, the famous Barcelos Rooster is the ex-libris of this region, where many craftsmen keep alive an activity that is the trademark of Minho’s handicraft capital. But Barcelos is not only about figurines, pottery and decorative ceramics. Basketry, straw hats, yokes, wooden works, padded satin stitch and linen weaving, furniture, tin-work and ironworks complete the vast palette of activities linked to this type of manual work that, with a lot of imagination and allied to the vivacity of colour, transport us to the core of Minho ethnography where olden day customs, such as festivals, religion, evening parties, the “killing of the pig”, husking, scutching, thrashing, grape-gathering and other farm work are united. The ideal place to find that special gift, a genuine Portuguese souvenir, a cultural product of excellence. And this experience would not be completed without a visit to the "Craft Masters" scattered throughout the county or to the discovery of the "Wonder World of Figurado", on a route through the 19 giant figures, all over the city, carrying them By the imagery and creativity of the pottery masters.