Tâmega e Sousa subregion

Tâmega e Sousa is an administrative region in northern Portugal comprising 11 municipalities spread across rolling terrain. The Tâmega and Sousa rivers flow through valleys and hills, creating the natural framework of this landscape.

This region was established in 2009 when territories from four former districts - Aveiro, Braga, Porto, and Viseu - were merged together. That administrative reform created a unified region from previously scattered boundaries.

Manufacturing traditions run deep here, particularly in furniture making, which has shaped the identity of several communities. Workshops and factories throughout the region reflect this heritage and remain central to how locals describe their home.

Penafiel serves as the administrative hub and connects to Porto via multiple transportation routes and regional highways. The road network makes it relatively easy to move between the different municipalities of the region.

This region holds one of Portugal's highest population densities outside major metropolitan areas, revealing how densely settled this rural landscape truly is. It stands as an interesting case of how population and industry concentrate in less well-known parts of the country.