Choupal National Forest

Category: Natural Park|Leisure|Sports|Picnics

Choupal is one of the landmarks of the city of Coimbra, often sung about by poets and writers who, like so many others, found a leafy retreat there. Its origin is closely linked to the actions taken in the late 18th century to mitigate the effects of the silting up of the Mondego River.

Year after year, the force of the water carried and deposited sediments, gradually altering the bed of the Mondego. When work began in 1791 to open up the “new” river bed, trees were planted on the banks to stabilize them and protect the surrounding agricultural fields. One of the first places to be planted with various forest species gave rise to the forest known as Choupal, because the poplar, a fast-growing species, prevailed over other species, dominating the landscape for a long period.

The forest also played an important role in distributing the floodwaters of the Mondego River through the various ravines that cross it transversally. Over time, its appearance has undergone changes, mainly due to the different growth and development rates of the various forest species and the species' ability to adapt to local ecological changes. Currently, the plant species present are: poplar, plane tree, black walnut, and swamp cedar.