Câmara Municipal de Ovar

Câmara Municipal de Ovar is the town hall of Ovar, a municipality in Aveiro District on Portugal's central-north Atlantic coast. The building, known as the Paços do Concelho, sits in the middle of a town famous for its tiled facades. It also houses the local tourist office, which makes it a handy first stop for any visit.

What are the Paços do Concelho?

The name is the traditional Portuguese term for the building where a municipal council sits. Until the early 20th century such buildings often shared their roof with other local services, including the court, civil registry, tax office and jail. Today Ovar's town hall is an administrative seat and one of the landmarks of the town centre.

What will you see in and around Ovar?

Ovar is often called an open-air tile museum. By the late 19th century the facades of most public buildings, and many private houses, were clad in semi-industrial tiles with floral patterns, then finished with balustrades, cone-shaped finials and small ceramic figures. The patterned tiles came from factories in Vila Nova de Gaia and Aveiro. Estimates put the number of tiled facades at around 800.

A walk through the centre lets you compare several decorative styles within a few minutes on foot. The town hall makes a sensible starting point for that route.

Can you join a guided tour?

The tourist office operates from the Paços do Concelho building. You can book a free guided walk of about one hour there. Arrange it ahead of time, especially in summer and around Carnival.

What else is nearby?

About 6.5 km from the centre stands the church of Válega, its facade covered in colourful tiles, including 20th-century work from the Aleluia factory in Aveiro. The west front looks best at sunset. Aveiro is roughly half an hour away. For something sweet, try the local pão-de-ló sponge cake.

How do you get there?

Ovar lies on the main railway line linking northern Portugal with Coimbra and Lisbon, and beside the A1 motorway, so reaching it from Porto or Aveiro by train or car is straightforward. The town hall is in the centre, so you can walk to it on arrival.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go inside Ovar town hall? Yes, the building houses a tourist information point that welcomes visitors. The council's offices serve municipal administration.

Is the guided walk free? Yes. You can book a one-hour guided walk at no charge at the tourist office in the Paços do Concelho.

Why is Ovar known for azulejos? At the end of the 19th century tiles clad the facades of most public buildings and many houses, with the total estimated at about 800.

How long does a visit take? A relaxed walk through the tiled centre usually takes a few hours; adding Válega takes about another hour.