Vista Alegre

Portugal's finest china is produced here by a business that was started in 1824 as a sort of commune. Housing was provided for workers from all parts of the country, training was provided by French master craftsmen, and the clay came from the nearby town of Ovar. Today the settlement's large, tree-filled square is bordered by the factory, a china museum and gift shop, and a small 17th-century chapel, home to the delicately carved tomb of the chapel's founder.