Parque de La Salette – Oliveira de Azeméis

The La Salette Park, located in Oliveira de Azeméis, district of Aveiro, has become a major attraction in the region due to the imposing Church found here, which stands out among the trees for those looking from a distance.

Created, as its name indicates, in honor of La Salette, there is a Sanctuary in his honor here.

This park consists of a total of 17 hectares, exclusively for leisure. Along the park there are several paths to take, and these paths are widely used by people who practice sports.

Just keep in mind that some paths are quite steep and, at colder times, can become slippery.

On these same paths, we found a very beautiful scenery: several trees were born and, instead of growing in height, they were bending to the sides, ending up intertwining.

the la salette park covers a total of 17 hectares.

Besides the benches created with a material that gives them a natural look, almost as if they had been carved by nature, the center of the park hides a beautiful treasure: a lake, with several ducks, where you can ride a boat. There is a café in this area, but we don't know if it will be open year-round.

Over the lake, there are stairs that lead to a viewpoint, where there are several stools to enjoy the view and enjoy the Church, right next to it.

Finally, and the most prominent element in this park: the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora de La Salette, whose initial construction of its chapel (only many years later transformed into a temple) will be around the year 1870, with a miracle associated with its construction (can read its story here.).

visit the la salette park and go boating on the lake

During the (common) process of researching information about the spot we are going to talk about, on the same site mentioned above, a funny story came up that we cannot fail to mention. It is said that there were some robberies going on in La Salette and in one of these events, they not only stole a valuable ring, they also left and took the little finger of the statue of the saint to take it away – they then decided to guard the chapel, and a gentleman known as “Uncle Martinho” was the chosen one.

This gentleman, when he was on guard, heard a noise and identified a thief, shooting him. The shot will have, by coincidence, hit the thief's little finger, the finger that it had broken from the statue.

So, the finger was placed in a flask with liquid and its being displayed inside the chapel, right at its entrance, until today.

When we visited the park, the Chapel was closed, so, taking the information from official Municipal sources and others later, we were unable to confirm or deny this situation.

La Salette thus becomes a major attraction in the region, being extremely known for its festival which takes place in August.

You can find more information about the party, coffee prices and boat trip prices here. (We did not use any of these events/services, so we are unable to provide our information).

What to do?

As previously mentioned, this park is an extremely pleasant place to walk. Therefore, we recommend starting the visit by go through the different paths from the park, which follow around the Sanctuary. On these paths you will find, on the right side of the Sanctuary, a viewpoint which overlooks two different counties.

You can also get to know de La Salette Sanctuary. Even if, like us, you aren't lucky enough to see it open, it's always worth wandering around the building and appreciating the details, as well as hearing its great set of bells ring.

To relax you can sit on the various benches existing throughout the park, take a boat ride or even so have a cup of coffee while enjoying the view of the lake.

Where to eat?

The answer to this question will depend on when you visit the park. If, like us, you visit on one of the days the party is taking place (despite the fact that we didn't catch the party itself and we visited it during one day of the week), you will find several trailers with food

If you decide to visit at another time of year, there is no problem either as there are several options. Located so close to the center of the county, there are close to 10 restaurants in the surroundings, such as 'Ricoca', 'O Agostinho' Restaurant and 'Peixoto' Restaurant. It is even a case of saying: it is the customer's choice. Sites abound!

how to get there and where to park?

Getting to this park is quite simple. In addition to being able to see the Sanctuary very easily from a distance, the path is very well identified. It is also located between two major main roads, the IC2 and the N224, so it is not at all difficult to find the way.

Regarding parking, again it will depend on when you visit. If, like us, you visit during the holidays, part of the parking lot may be blocked. If you find this scenario, there is really no problem either – the road out of the park consists of a very wide one-way road, which perfectly has parking space on the side of the road.

If you visit outside of the holidays, it should be even easier to park, considering that the parking lot is spacious.