Chaves lies in upper Trás-os-Montes, in a fertile plain crossed by the Tâmega river, about ten kilometres from Galicia. Founded by the Romans in the first century as Aquae Flaviae, in honour of Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty, it owes its existence to its hot springs, which emerge at about 73 degrees, among the hottest in the Iberian Peninsula.
Trajan's bridge
The town's symbol is the Roman bridge of Trajan, built between the late first and early second centuries, about 140 metres long, with a row of granite arches. On the bridge stand two Roman milestones with inscriptions. It is still walkable and links the old centre with the Madalena quarter.
The Roman baths
In 2006, during work on a car park in the centre, the remains of a large Roman bath complex were discovered, among the most important in the Iberian Peninsula, with pools still fed by hot water. They can now be visited in the Roman Baths Museum, built over the excavations. The modern Chaves spa offers treatments, and the public fountain lets you taste the hot water, with its distinctive flavour.
The town
The old centre has narrow streets with distinctive varandas, brightly painted wooden balconies, especially on Rua Direita. The fourteenth-century keep is all that remains of the castle; it houses a military museum and is surrounded by a garden. The Nadir Afonso Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by Álvaro Siza and opened in 2016, is devoted to the painter and architect born in Chaves, who worked with Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer.
Food and surroundings
Chaves is famous for presunto de Chaves, its cured ham, and for the pastel de Chaves, a puff pastry filled with veal, with protected geographical indication. Nearby are the Vidago spa, with a grand early twentieth-century hotel, the sparkling waters of Pedras Salgadas and the Barroso region, a land of pastures and traditional villages. Chaves is about an hour and a half from Porto by car (A7 and A24); from here you can continue to Bragança.