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Nature
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2005 © Oficina Virtual de Turismo
The town and council of Lugo are at the centre of the
Biosphere Reserve known as Terras do Miño. The Miño, Galicia’s main
river, bathes the feet of the town, and it is precisely here where it actually
becomes a major water course. Its waters, dammed by the caneiros, flow slowly
among impressive groves that crawl along the banks and climb over the hills to
become thick oak groves. In the river there are islands that are home to a
large variety of birds. At certain times of the year, thanks to its aquatic
vegetation, the Miño looks like a meadow in bloom.
Another two rivers are part of the river environment surrounding the city: the
Rato and the Mera. Around the former there is a pleasant promenade with trees
visited frequently by the locals, and inceasingly by visitors as well. The Mera
is truly something else. Although it meets the Miño only 2 km. away from the
Main Square, walking only a short distance we come into a fraga, a mixed forest
of deciduous trees that grow spontaneously in the communal lands and form a
closed tree and bush formation over the course. Travellers may leave on foot
from the centre of a modern town and in less than half an hour find themselves
submerged in a primeval and supernaturally quiet place.
Few European cities can boast such a beautiful riverside environment, so close
to the urban centre. But the entire and large area administered by the council
of Lugo is of an extraordinary and most varied beauty, as is well known to the
pilgrims on their way to Santiago who cross it from east to west through its
paths among the trees, following the most ancient of the European roads leading
to Compostela: the Primitive Road.
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