40 kilometers away from Porto, if you travel towards Guimarães, you will come across a small town called Vizela. This town is known throughout Portugal for its healing hot springs, which date back to the time of the Roman Empire, when this area was part of their mighty empire.

Known mainly for its thermal traditions, Vizela is often referred to as the "Queen of Thermal Baths of Portugal". It experienced its golden age and significant growth in the 19th century, when it became an important thermal and hotel destination, with the opening of the Balneário das Termas de Vizela, a preferred place for wealthy families from Portugal, Brazil, and the UK to spend their holidays.

Before that, however, the Romans were already aware of the medicinal properties of the local herbs, and were credited with discovering them. A Roman bridge from that period remains, which was part of the Via Militar, responsible for connecting the towns of Braga and Mérida.

In parallel with the construction of the thermal baths, one of the most beautiful parks in Portugal, Parque das Termas, was created. Considered to be one of the lightest, it is home to several species of trees and has become a popular destination for residents and visitors of Wiesel to cycle outdoors.

I really wanted to visit the springs, but unfortunately, they were closed at that time. However, we were fortunate in other ways. Next to the baths is a city park for culture and recreation, where there are century-old trees, about 30 to 40 meters tall. I could not resist taking pictures of these trees and you can judge for yourself how they turned out.