It was in the Porto and in the North regions that Portugal was
founded in the 12th century and the Portuguese became a people and a
nation.
Porto, a World Heritage city, is the gateway and departure point for
a journey across the natural and cultural diversity of the region.
It is known for the Port wine which is shipped from here all over
the world, but also for a heritage which combines ancient churches
and monuments, such as the Cathedral and the Church of São
Francisco, and modern buildings, such as Casa da Música and the
Serralves Museum.
And also for its School of Architecture which bred names like Álvaro
Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura, both winners of the Pritzker
Prize.
The region is crossed by the River Douro which enters Portugal
between the ravines and mountains of the interior to flow through
the entire World Heritage landscape where the Port and Douro wines
are produced.
It is from here that the wine is sent to the lodges at
Vila Nova de Gaia, as the cruises touring the region make their way
upriver.
In this area of mountains and natural parks, the region’s heritage
is seen in its castles, such as the one in Guimarães, and the
shrines and churches which are the stage for pilgrimages in the
summer.
You will find the Baroque architecture of Northern Portugal in its
stone and gilded carvings side by side with rural chapels. In its
cities, which retain a human scale, such as Viana do Castelo, Braga,
Lamego, Chaves and Vila Real, and in the manor houses and stately
halls, you will find the genuine Portuguese people, who like to
share their table, their customs and traditions.
In Porto and Northern Portugal, the joy and gratitude for all we
have and are is experienced in the most spontaneous way.
Porto
There are some places that cannot be missed. In the words of many
visitors, this city has something mystical that are difficult to
describe and which varies according to the place, time of day and
light.
Whatever it is, it certainly has to do with its people, known to be
generous and easy-going, as well as the River Douro and its heritage
on both banks, with its bridges and monuments, the tiles, the
flowering balconies and the shopping streets.
The historic centre of Porto and the River Douro on the Gaia side,
where the Port Wine lodges are located, are classified as World
Heritage.
S. Bento Station, with its atrium lined with tiles, is an ideal
starting point. Just ahead is the Cathedral, not to be missed, whose
precinct offers the first view of the river, the cascading houses
and the opposite bank.
From there you descend by steps and mediaeval streets to Ribeira,
with its café terraces and picturesque corners.
It's worth staying a little to get a flavour of the atmosphere and
take in the river with the D. Luís Bridge and the opposite bank,
before going on a cruise under Porto’s six bridges.
Once you’ve seen the outline of the cascading houses and church
towers, you will want to see the gilt interior of the Church of S.
Francisco.
Nearby, you can see more tile-fronted churches and monuments, and
visit the Palácio da Bolsa (former Stock Exchange palace).
The tram leaves from next to the river for a trip that goes to Foz
(the mouth of the Douro), where you can take a stroll and fill your
lungs with the sea air.
Avenida da Boavista starts here, and not far away is Serralves, with
its gardens to stroll or rest in and its contemporary art
exhibitions.
The museum is the work of Álvaro Siza Vieira, one of the foremost
architects of the Porto School of Architecture, and winner of the
Pritzker Prize.
The Douro Valley
The Douro Valley could as easily be called the enchanted valley,
such is the beauty and magic that its landscapes offer.
Departing from Porto, where the river flows into the sea and where
the Douro wines (table wines and Port wine), produced on its
hillsides, also end up, there are various ways to get to know this
cultural landscape, listed as a World Heritage Site: by road, by
train, on a cruise boat and even by helicopter.
None will leave you indifferent.
Following a route between the viewpoints that offer the best vistas,
you need to cross the river from north to south and back again.
But along the way you can admire breathtaking landscapes over the
river and visit vineyards, towns and villages until you reach
Miranda do Douro, the point at which the river enters Portugal.
Start at Vila Nova de Gaia with a visit to the lodges where Port
wine is aged.
Here you will get to know this wine a little better,
taking the opportunity – how could you do otherwise? - to taste the
precious nectar.
And you can still see the old rabelo boats on the river, the vessels
that carried the wine from the quintas where it is produced to the
mouth of river, before the various dams that made the river
navigable were built.
Parque Arqueológico do Vale do Côa
Through the imposing mountains of the north-eastern region of
Portugal, where in early spring the almond trees are in full blossom
and in autumn the vines are covered with fiery red leaves, there
runs into the River Douro, from the south, a tributary whose name is
now known all around the world.
This is the River Côa, whose vast valley contains many examples of a
long-flourishing artistic cycle.
Millennium after millennium, the rock formations that line the river
banks have been converted into panels covered with thousands of
engravings bequeathed to us by our ancestors' creative impulses.
Dating back to the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic Age, these
open-air "panels" bear witness to an artistic vitality and mastery
that have brought us into touch with 25,000 years of past time.
This extensive art gallery provides us with a record of the
Neolithic period and the Iron Age, and then transports us in one
fell swoop across two thousand years of history to settle in the
Modern Era with its religious representations, names, dates and
even, only a few decades ago, some figures drawn by the children of
a local miller.
Almost all the motifs are engraved in the rock, presenting us with
themes, techniques and conventions common to other contemporary
works in Western Europe, such as those found hidden in the
French-Basque caves in the nineteenth century and which, by the turn
of the century, were already being referred to as great art.
It was, however, not until the end of the twentieth century that we
were suddenly to see the art of the Côa valley burst forth from the
hidden recesses of the caves into the open air, where the daily and
seasonal interplay of light and shade simultaneously exposes and
hides it in a fantastic game of revelation and concealment.
As the river wends its way from south to north towards the River
Douro, the last seventeen kilometres of its course form a valley
that recently became Portugal's first archaeological park.
Since December 2, 1998, it has been included in the list of
monuments classified by UNESCO as World Heritage.
The subsequent simultaneous creation of the Côa Valley
Archaeological Park and the National Rock Art Centre, both of which
have offices in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, represented the culmination of
an important government decision and one that will clearly have a
crucial effect on the status of rock art, archaeology and heritage
in Portugal at various levels.
All of this magnificent group of open-air engravings, which finally
lays to rest the old myth of rock art being forever enclosed in
caves, can be admired in organised visits conducted by specialist
guides, although it is stressed that all visits must be booked in
advance.
The three centres that can be visited are: Canada do Inferno, which
was the first group of engravings to be discovered, very close to
Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Ribeira de Piscos, at Muxagata, and Penascosa,
close to the village of Castelo Melhor.
Situated in the very heart of the archaeological park, the Quinta da
Ervamoira provides a complementary service for visitors to the
engravings.
Here there is a museum that gives a full description of
the region and its ancestral customs, without forgetting the
extremely ancient bread-making cycle and the traditional features of
Douro wine production, yet another of this region's most undeniable
riches.
Romanesque Route
The Romanesque Route is a tour covering 58 monuments located in the
north of Portugal, near the rivers Tâmega, Sousa and part of the
Douro.
It includes monasteries, churches and memorials, bridges, castles
and towers that have in common the characteristic Romanesque
architecture of this region.
On the whole, they are located in the centre of a triangle whose
vertices are World Heritage Sites: Porto, Guimarães and the Douro
Valley.
The Romanesque Route is in fact divided into three routes that
connect to each other by road, following the river valleys: The
Sousa Valley Route, with 19 monuments; The Tâmega Valley Route, with
25 monuments; and the Douro Valley route, roughly between Castelo de
Paiva and Resende, with 14 monuments.
This region and its architectural heritage are indelibly associated
with the beginnings of Portuguese nationality, since it was here
that the noble families resided who helped the first kings in the
Christian Reconquest of the territory that is today Portugal.
On the other hand, the clergy and the religious orders helped
populations to settle, which is why churches, monasteries and other
monuments with unique architectural features are concentrated in
such a small area, having often played defensive roles, as attested
by their embattled towers and buttresses.
Arouca Geopark
A Geopark is a park with a geological heritage of exceptional
importance, recognised as such by the European Network the and
UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.
Its objective is geoconservation, education for sustainable
development and tourism.
Highlights of the Arouca Geopark, which was recognised by UNESCO in
2009, are the Castanheira Nodular Granite (Pedras Parideiras), the
Canelas Giant Trilobites and the Vale do Paiva Ichnofossils.
But the inventoried heritage includes 41 geosites, i.e. sites of
geological interest that stand out for their uniqueness and value
from a scientific, didactic and tourist point of view.
This true open-air geological museum, covering an area of 328km2, is
surrounded by the Freita, Montemuro and Arada Mountains and crossed
by several rivers offering excellent conditions for various
activities, such as canyoning, canoeing, kayaking and mountaineering
(25 routes in 3 areas of the Freita Mountain).
And in the River Paiva rapids, you will find some of the best
locations in Portugal for rafting and kayak-rafting.
To fully enjoy these landscapes, the Geopark has defined a Network
of 14 Footpaths, 13 of which are short distance walks (PR) and one
is a long distance walk (GR), all of them properly waymarked.
Fourteen geosites are located along ten of these trails.
Gerês
The Peneda-Gerês National Park, in the far northwest of Portugal
between Upper Minho and Trás-os-Montes, is the only Portuguese
protected area classified as a such.
It is a world apart in which human activity and nature are
harmoniously integrated, preserving ancient values and traditions
clearly evident in the village communities of Pitões das Júnias and
Tourém.
The lush vegetation in all shades of green includes a forest of
holly, the only one in Portugal, and endemic species such as the
Gerês lily, which brightens up the fields with its shades of
violet-blue.
Rivers and streams flow through the Peneda, Soajo, Amarela and Gerês
mountain ranges, which comprise the park, rushing down in waterfalls
and then spreading out into reservoirs.
The landscapes are breathtaking.
You might sometimes manage to spot a roebuck (the Park’s symbol) or
its predator, the Iberian wolf.
More common are the ponies, small wild horses that run free in the
mountains.
You may also come across the Barrosã breed of cattle or the
dark-haired Castro Laboreiro dogs, guarding the herds that move to
the rhythm of the seasons, between the mild and the wintry.
These are the villages and mountain areas related to the ancient
transhumance, to where the people today move only the cattle:
valleys and low altitudes in winter, the highest places in summer,
according to the availability of pasture.
Braga
Braga is a lively city, one of the oldest in the country, and is
teeming with young people who study at its universities.
Built more than 2,000 years ago, “Bracara Augusta” was, as the name
indicates, founded by Augustus; it was located on one of the main
Roman roads in the Iberian Peninsula, since it was the
administrative seat of the Empire, and later given the status of
capital of the Roman province of Gallaecia, present-day Galicia, by
Emperor Caracalla.
The Braga Diocese is the oldest in Portugal and, in the Middle Ages,
the city even competed with Santiago de Compostela in power and
importance.
One of the Camiños de Santiago passed through here, when this
pilgrimage cult grew with the Christian reconquest and the
foundation of Portugal.
Braga’s Cathedral is also the oldest in the country and was built in
the 12th century by the parents of Portugal’s first King, D.
Henrique and D. Teresa, who are buried there.
Braga is to this day one of the country’s main religious centres,
having the Holy Week Celebrations and the São João Festival as the
highlights in its liturgical and tourist calendar.
Besides the Tesouro-Museu da Sé (Cathedral Treasure Museum), it is
worth visiting the Biscainhos Museum, housed in a Baroque palace, a
landmark period in the history of Braga, and the D. Diogo de Sousa
Archaeological Museum, since the city also abounds in remains from
the Roman era.
We suggest a leisurely stroll around the historic centre to visit
some of the many churches, admire the houses and historical
buildings, such as the Palácio do Raio, the Theatro Circo, the Arco
da Porta Nova, and to have a coffee at the emblematic Brasileira
with a view of the busy Avenida Central.
But Braga is considered the youngest city in Portugal and, from its
contemporary landmarks, the Braga Municipal Stadium stands out,
designed by Souto Moura, one of the most prestigious Portuguese
architects and winner of the Pritzker Prize.
Bragança
Situated in the far northeast of Portugal, Bragança is a city whose
old castle still maintains a mediaeval urban core within its walls.
Entering the citadel or the bailey by the Porta da Vila (Town Gate),
you will find yourself at the Pelourinho (Pillory), standing on a
Lusitanian hog that recalls the Celtic origins of the region.
In the
massive Keep, which in the Middle Ages guarded the borders, the
military museum also tells the history of the castle, built by King
João I on the foundations of the earlier fortress that the 1st King
of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, had built.
From the top of the castle, you can enjoy an excellent view over the
city and the vast outline of the mountains that surround it.
You will also discover the Church of Santa Maria within the citadel,
and the Domus Municipalis, the only example of civic Romanesque
architecture in Portugal, where the city senate would meet.
Outside the walls, the city spread westward, and a number of
mansions and monuments are preserved such as the Cathedral, the
Church of São Vicente, the Misericórdia Chapel and the Church of
Santa Clara.
The valuable collection of the Abade de Baçal Museum is found inside
the ancient Bishop’s Palace, while the Graça Morais Centre for
Contemporary Art contains works from this renowned contemporary
painter and other fine art collections.
Guimarães
Guimarães is considered the birthplace of Portugal because Afonso
Henriques, who went on to be the first king of Portugal, was born
here.
The historical centre in the area that was within the Guimarães city
walls, is associated with the formation and identity of Portugal,
and was classified a World Heritage site based on the originality
and authenticity applied in its restoration.
The city still has a harmonious, well-preserved heritage that is
evident in the graceful iron verandas, granite balconies and
porticos, mansions, arches connecting the narrow streets, paving
slabs smoothed by time, towers and cloisters.
For a moment you might
imagine yourself to be in a mediaeval setting, where the nobility
built their houses over time, such as the Mota Prego house, the Vila
Flor and Toural palaces, and the many others that give Guimarães its
unique atmosphere.
You can start from the heart of the city, Largo da Oliveira, where
you find the Padrão do Saladoand the Collegiate Church of Nossa
Senhora da Oliveira, which houses the valuable Alberto Sampaio
Museum.
Passing the Paços Municipais (City Hall), crowned with battlements,
enter the Praça de Santiago which in the Middle Ages welcomed
pilgrims bound for Compostela, just as today it welcomes residents
and tourists in its restaurants and terraces.
The Convent of Santa Clara, the Casa do Arco and other stately
houses are in Rua da Santa Maria, which links with the upper city.
Go up this street or the Avenida Alberto Sampaio, bordered by the
remains of the ancient wall that continues into the upper city,
between the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança and the castle.
On your way to the castle at the top, you will find this palace, a
15th century monument in which it is possible to see the influence
of French seigneurial architecture, the Monument to King Afonso
Henriques, the Romanesque Chapel of S. Miguel and finally the
Castle, which dates back to the 10th century and is closely linked
to the foundation of Portugal.
But you must also discover another central point in Guimarães, so go
back down to the Largo do Toural, with its 16th century fountain.
Rua D. João I, which in the Middle Ages was the road to take to
Porto, boasts old houses with wooden balustrades and 17th century
facades.
Skirting the Church of the Convent of S. Domingos, now in Rua de
Paio Galvão, you will find the neo-Romanesque Martins Sarmento
Archaeological Museum, which extends into the cloister of the
Convent.
Just ahead is the old market hall building, which today houses the
José de Guimarães International Arts Centre, with a retrospective of
the work of this renowned artist, who was born in the city.
A little further away from the city centre, the cascading gardens
with Summer Houses and rocaille decoration, at the Vila Flor Palace
and Cultural Centre, are well worth a visit; as is the Baroque
Church of Nossa Senhora da Consolação e dos Santos Passos at the far
end of Largo da República do Brasil.
For another view of the city you can go up in the cable car to Monte
da Penha, to enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramas in the north
of Portugal, where you will find the Shrine of Our Lady of Penha.
Portuguese Way of St. James – Central Route
The most frequently used Portuguese Way of St. James is the Central
Route, which passes through Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto.
It is fully waymarked from Lisbon with the unmistakable yellow
arrows that mark the Ways of St. James, and sometimes with a yellow
scallop shell on a blue background, the official symbol.
But there are several Ways of St. James in Portugal, all running
south to north, as Santiago de Compostela is in Galicia, 120 km from
the border at Valença in the north of Portugal.
South of Lisbon, the Way is not systematically waymarked yet, but it
is known that it was also walked by pilgrims in the Middle Ages, in
particular from Cape Saint Vincent to Santiago do Cacém, along a
stretch that is today known as the Historical Way of the Rota
Vicentina.
The Rota Vicentina is part of the GR11/E9 route, which passes
through Lisbon.
The Central Route passes through the following places (approximate
distances):
FROM LISBON TO SANTARÉM
1. Lisbon > Alhandra, 33km
Lisbon > Sacavém > Alpriate > Póvoa de Santa Iria > Alverca >
Alhandra
2. Alhandra > Azambuja, 24km
Alhandra > Vila Franca de Xira > Carregado > Vila Nova da Rainha >
Azambuja
3. Azambuja > Santarém, 32km
Azambuja > Aerodrome > Reguengo > Valada > Porto de Muge > Omnias >
Santarém
FROM SANTARÉM TO TOMAR
4. Santarém > Golegã, 30.5km
Santarém > Vale Figueira > Pombalinho > Azinhaga (birthplace of José
Saramago, winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Literature) > Golegã
5. Golegã > Tomar, 22km
Golegã > São Caetano (Quinta da Cardiga) > Vila Nova da Barquinha >
Atalaia > Grou > Asseiceira > Santa Cita > Tomar
Porto and Douro Wine Route
In the grandiose amphitheatre of the Douro Valley, classified World
Heritage, man gave birth to Port wine and table wines of great
quality.
Port wine is the oldest ambassador for Portugal.
Grown on the terraces of the Douro, it proudly belongs to one of the
oldest demarcated regions of the world, since the Companhia Geral da
Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro (General Agricultural Company
for the Vineyards of the Upper Douro) was created in 1756.
Its mission was to set the boundaries of the region, register the
vineyards and classify the wines according to their quality.
Douro table wines, which in recent decades have gained great renown
and have been acclaimed across borders, thanks to the quality of
both the reds and whites, and even the rosés, are also produced
here.
Inseparable from the River Douro that runs through deep valleys from
the border with Spain until near Porto, this region of schist
mountains, with poor, harsh soils, was transformed by the actions of
the men who planted the vineyards step by step.
Green in summer, fiery red in autumn, the vineyards have created a
unique landscape classified by UNESCO.
Spas in Porto and Northern Portugal
The Porto and Northern Regions are particularly rich in Spas, with
waters gushing from the earth sometimes at high temperatures and
with well-known therapeutic effects.
In some cases, their benefits have been known since Antiquity, such
as in the Caldelas, São Vicente, Taipas and Chaves Spas, the latter
originally named “Aquae Flaviae” after the Roman Emperor Flavius
Vespasianus who, with his legions, already used these natural
well-being springs 2000 years ago.
Other waters have been known since the Middle Ages, such as Caldas
da Saúde and Caldas de Aregos.
While basing their programmes on the mineral-medicinal properties of
the waters, these days thermal baths also offer complementary health
and well-being programmes for a diversity of purposes.
Using showers, baths, massages and many other modern techniques, you
will find in these up-do-date facilities relaxation programmes,
invigorating and aesthetic treatments and many others, of short or
longer duration, aimed at rebalancing the body and the mind.
With a good climate all year round, they are restful and well-being
places promoting health and contributing to relaxation and the
improvement of the quality of life.
In addition, these facilities are all located in beautiful,
inspiring natural environments which in themselves induce peace and
tranquillity.
Suffice it to mention the various spas in the green region of Minho,
notably in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, where the flora and fauna
add to a sense of coolness and beauty.
Here you can watch wild horses and traditional customs that will
take you back in time and make you delve into nature.
The cuisine of Porto and the North
Porto and Northern Portugal, where the founding of the country was
begun, are known for the honest and genuine character of their
people and their tradition of hospitality.
Among its attributes is a rich cuisine, accompanied by the region’s
excellent wines.
The regional cuisine makes use of its natural resources, so caldo
verde, appreciated all over the country, is a cabbage soup that
originated here thanks to the fertile green fields of the region. In
the west, bounded by the sea, the freshness and quality of the fish
has a prominent place, as in all Portuguese cuisine, which prides
itself in having the best fish in the world, in the opinion of
renowned international chefs and gourmets.
But in Porto and the North, trout, lamprey and shad are also fished
in the rapid, abundant rivers, to the delight of connoisseurs.
It is a region of good grazing for the cattle that are bred here.
The native breeds such as Barrosã, Mirandesa, Maronesa and Arouquesa
have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) classification, as do
Terrincho Transmontano lamb and Barroso kids.
Pork is also available in regional varieties, not only in quality
sausages but also such dishes as rojões (braised pork chunks),
sarrabulho (pork rice cooked in pig blood) and Porto-style tripe,
perhaps the most famous dish of the northern capital.
There is another dish too, made on the basis of a sandwich, that is
a true institution: the francesinha.
Back to pork, it should be noted that this mountainous region,
especially in the northwest, is the largest area for breeding the
bísaro pig.
The sausages from Chaves and Mirandela are famous for using
traditional manufacturing methods.
The alheira sausage of Mirandela
and Miranda do Douro is highly appreciated but has the peculiarity
of not being made with pork, since it was intended for the Jewish
population that lived here in the Middle Ages.
You can buy them all in the Vinhais Smoked Meats Fair.
Viana do Castelo
Viana do Castelo is one of the most beautiful cities in the north of
Portugal.
Its involvement in the Portuguese Discoveries and, later on, cod
fishing shows its traditional connection to the sea.
Viana do Castelo is easily accessed from Porto, or from Valença for
those coming from Spain.
The special geographical situation of the city, next to the sea and
to the mouth of the river Lima, can be seen from the Santa Luzia
hill.
This stunning view and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a
revivalist building by Ventura Terra, of 1898, could be your
starting point for visiting the city.
Viana is rich in palaces emblazoned with coats of arms, churches and
monasteries, monumental fountains and water features that constitute
a wealth of heritage worth visiting.
At the Tourist Office, you can ask for a brochure and choose a route
inspired by Manueline, Renaissance, Baroque, Art Deco or tile
architecture.
Whichever streets you stroll through in the historic centre, you
will always come back to the Praça da República, the heart of the
city.
This is where you will find the 16th century Misericórdia building
and fountain, as well as the old Paços do Concelho (Town Hall).
Close by is the Romanesque Cathedral or Igreja Matriz (Parish
Church).
Vila Real
Perching on top of a headland, Vila Real preserves stately houses
adorned with coats of arms, Manueline windows and traditional
wrought iron balconies.
It is an old city, located on the confluence of the Rivers Corgo and
Cabril, framed by the Alvão and Marão Mountains to the west, and the
Serra de Montemuro to the south.
An inland city, it boasts a waterfront avenue over a deep ravine
along which the River Corgo flows.
Avenida Carvalho Araújo, bordered by traditional cobbled pavements,
runs across the city, leading at one end to the 19th century Town
Hall building.
Further along is the Gothic Cathedral and, opposite, a 16th century
house with Manueline windows which houses the Tourist Office.
As you continue your stroll between Avenida Carvalho Araújo and the
waterfront avenue, amid stately houses and shopping streets, you
will get to the liveliest and most typical part of Vila Real.
This is where the Misericórdia Church and the Clérigos Church are to
be found, the latter a masterpiece by the Italian architect Nicolau
Nasoni.
Take a moment to admire the balconies decorated with iron railings
and the granite framed windows which form a gallery of genuinely
Portuguese civic architecture.
