Edition 36 - Covilhã, Factory City

15.11.2021 • 21.11.2021

Wool is the leitmotif of this week's edition and Covilhã, recently included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, is the epicentre of this wool universe.

Covilhã, Factory City

Covilhã is a quite original example of a “factory city”, a geographical and historical profile that would remain unaltered until the 80’s with the downfall of the wool industry. Wool has inspired the most amazing street art creations that can be seen throughout the city, colourful statements of a city heading to the future. There are also former wool factories that were brought to life again, producing the most innovative sustainable items. Or empowering projects such as "Queijeiras" (women cheese-makers) that will help more than 40 women of 9 different counties improving their education. Past and future woven together.

The Wool Museum

The goal of this museum of science and technology is to preserve the region’s textile industry heritage.

Puralã - Wool Valley Hotel & Spa

Puralã Wool Valley Hotel & Spa is located in the city of Covilhã, 3 hours drive away from Lisbon and Porto Airports. It's a boutique and lifestyle hotel that pays tribute to the memory of the wool textile industry and the identity of Covilhã, being wool the motif of the hotel's entire décor.

Cities & Villages

Wool Fest – Covilhã Art Festival

The welcoming town of Covilhã at the foothill of Serra da Estrela is the epicentre of the street art scene in Center of Portugal.

Like all the good fairy tales, Burel Factory has a story that combines amazing landscapes, passionate characters and, of course, love.

A Transformadora

A Transformadora, Fábrica do Pisão Novo, bought by Burel Factory, has a long history in Covilhã, the “City Built in Wool”. With the processing of loose wool, yarns and fabric, A Transformadora is now renewing its vision of the future for the wool industry, as a leading textile company specialised in wool finishing and dyeing.

The project Queijeiras (Women cheese-makers) is developed by the Mountain Villages network in partnership with the designer Sandra Pinho and Burel Factory. It is simultaneously a tribute to the crucial role played by the women who work so hard in cheese-making, creating the cheese of Serra da Estrela region, an outstanding product with national and international recognition, but also a means of financing their training courses.