Vila Real Ethnographic Museum

There was no space in the city for the evocation of the ethnographic heritage of the Vila Real district, after the closure of the Ethnographic Museum of the Province of Trás-os-Montes and Upper Douro in 1976. Its collection, mostly brought together in the 1940s, was stored in Vila Real municipal offices, and has been partially restored to be included in the new museum, which was opened in 2007.
 
Visitors to the Museum can enjoy four separate “times”, divided into as many rooms: in the first, “The time of revelation”, the visitor is invited to learn more about the Vila Real district, and discover the items from the old Ethnographic Museum of the Province of Trás-os-Montes and Upper Douro; the “Time for growing” follows, and is dedicated to agriculture, traditional crafts and the cycle of flax; In the “Time to evoke”, the visitor has close contact with the popular religious feasts of Santo António and S. Pedro, with their close links to the potter’s art of Bisalhães; and finally, in “Time to Recreate”, visitors encounter popular games, with ever-present music, in evocative panels and multimedia presentations which invite visitors to relax and enjoy the show in the comfort of the auditorium. The Ethnographic Museum eagerly awaits your visit!