Cossourado Hill Fort

This ancient Hill Fort is situated in the beautiful region of Paredes de Coura, on the north of the Country, in between the amazing rivers Coura and Minho, in a strategic high area, integrating the so designated “castrensian” culture, typical in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.

The settlement goes around a built area of about 10 hectares. It was habited for a short period of time, between the 5th and 2nd centuries b.C., and probably abandoned short before the Roman occupancy of the territory.
Several archaeological reseraches denote that this site was defended by a system of walls that protected the residential areas, revealing the existence of a major centre of occupation, constituted by several and functionally diverse buildings. They were used for habitation, storage, guard of animals and other goods, which lead to believe that this was a socially stratified society, economically based on recollection, agriculture and pasture, including in its daily routine other productive activities, such as spinning, weaving, pottery, milling, fishing and metallurgy.

The defensive system consists on two hills that completely enclose the upper platform, and a third on the western side where the slope is less pronounced.
Recently, the hill fort was transformed into a small museum area, with a nucleus of two constructions re-built, in order to recreate the ancient “castrejo” past.