The Douro - Lonely Planet

THE DOURO
© Lonely Planet Publications
382
The Douro
The meandering Rio Douro has shaped both the geography and the history of this dramatic
region. The Douro region is home to Portugal’s most famous vineyards, including those of
the Alto Douro, one of the oldest demarcated wine regions on the planet and a Unescodeclared World Heritage Site.
The gateway to the region is Porto, the historic city at the mouth of the river. Wealth
from its wine trade has long powered the economy, leaving a legacy of intricately carved
cathedrals, beaux-arts boulevards and Parisian-style squares. It is also a city with a burgeoning cultural scene, with cutting-edge modern architecture, forward-looking theatres and
galleries, and uninhibited nightlife.
Upriver from Porto, the steeply terraced vineyards show vintners’ Herculean efforts to shape
this region over the centuries. The riverbanks stretch skyward at impossibly steep angles and are
covered by vines. For the curious, there are numerous ways to delve into the Douro experience:
visiting vineyards, sailing the Douro, embarking on scenic train journeys, staying in a chateau
on a working wine estate, or sampling an aged port in an 18th-century wine-cellar.
The Douro is also a fascinating place to glimpse the artistic treasures left by previous
inhabitants. Highlights include Stone Age petroglyphs, Visigothic churches and magnificent
baroque churches slumbering in tiny villages. And while the coast isn’t the Douro’s big
draw, there are some worthwhile stops here, including picturesque Vila do Conde, a onceimportant shipbuilding centre.
Note that this chapter includes a few towns that are technically in the Beira Alta and
Trás-os-Montes regions but lie along the Rio Douro.
HIGHLIGHTS
„ Wine-tasting in the picturesque vineyards of
the Alto Douro (p420)
„ Losing yourself amid the medieval alleys and
riverfront promenades of Porto’s cinematic
Ribeira district (p389)
„ Sampling a late-bottled vintage at a port-
wine lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia (p393)
„ Relaxing beside the Rio Tâmega and its
Vale do Côa
Amarante
Ribeira
District
Alto Douro
Vila Nova
de Gaia
medieval bridge in the charming town of
Amarante (p409)
„ Coming face to face with Palaeolithic artwork at Vale do Côa (p421), home to petroglyphs
dating back over 10,000 years
„ POPULATION: 2.1 MILLION
„ AREA: 3350 SQ KM
de
os
de Pass
ra
In
Rua do Ouro
Boavista
ro
Dou
R dos Moinhos
s
Massarelos
Tele
11
edr
o
Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar..... 10
Museu do Carro Eléctrico ......11
Museu do Vinho do Porto......12
Museu Nacional Soares dos
Reis....................................13
Museu Romântico..................14
Ramos Pinto.......................... 15
Rua Miguel Bombarda...........16
SLEEPING
Castelo Santa Catarina...........17
Hotel Eurostars das Artes.......18
Residencial Rex......................19
Residencial Solar da Avenida...20
SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Barcos Rabelos.........................6
Calém...................................... 7
Casa da Música........................8
Jardim do Palácio de Cristal.....9
28
14
1
Quintas
Praca da
Galiza
39
e
dad
ie
P
a
Rd
R
Ro
oP
Rd
z
Cru
om M
16
24
anuel II
31 13
34
er
Brein 2
de G
aia
Vila Nova
de Gaia
iro
de Campos
Ram
Cais
da
ega
ând
Alf
R dos
Clérigos
To Taylor's
To Barros (50m); Barão de
Fladgate (50m)
(50m)
Trindade
Station
7
21
To Rozés
(300m)
20
R da
Escola
40
R da
Firmeza
uel
R Form
osa
Alameda
das
Fontainhas
F
0.5 miles
TRANSPORT
AV Minho & Arriva Bus
Terminal............................ 36
Eurolines & Santos Buses........37
Europcar.................................38
Internorte Buses.....................39
TCL........................................40
D2
E2
E1
B2
E1
SHOPPING
CC Bombarda........................34 C2
Centro Comercial Cidade do
Porto..................................35 B2
ENTERTAINMENT
Casa das Artes........................33 A1
Cinema Centro Comercial Cidade do
Porto...............................(see 35)
To Campanhã
Train Station;
Wasteels (600m)
DRINKING
Bazaar....................................28 B3
Hard Club..............................29 C3
Pride Bar................................30 D1
Rota do Chá..........................31 C2
Solar do Vinho do Porto......(see 14)
Triplex....................................32 B1
C3
E1
C4
D4
D4
C2
C2
1 km
EATING
Don Tonho II.........................21
Guernica................................22
Nakité....................................23
Restaurante O Verde
Vegetariano.......................24
Sabor de Minas.......................25
Sitar.......................................26
Tromba Rija........................... 27
To Estádio do
Dragão (700m)
Av Fernão de
Magalhães
37
Campo 24
de Agosto
R Fernan
des Tom
ás
o
ons
def
Il
Sto eus
a
t
Ru
a
M
ado
org
RM
eitas
es de Fr
Av Rodrigu
R
S Vua de
ito
r
To Vila
Nova de Gaia
(300m)
Jardim
do Morro
fel
o Eif
stav
v Gu
10
25
38
To A3/IP1 E
(1km); A4 (3km);
Braga (57km)
ssos M
an
R de Pa
A
ha
Bolhão
São Bento
Train Station
Ponte de
Dom Luís I
Ribeira
17
R Dr Alfredo
Magalhães
Tv da Fontin
araíso
Cais Amarelo
eite
Cais de
go L
6 Mercado
Gaia Av Dio
5
Municipal
Pinto
s
Av Ramo
27
15
26
ova
RN
R do P
Praca da
República
36
R Gonçalo Cristovão
See Central Porto Map (p388)
19
Largo
Lapa Lapa
30
jard
ida d
D1
C2
D1
E2
29
R
C2
B3
D4
C2
D4
B3
C3
9
o Largo do
Viriato
stauraçã
R da Re
12
de
R Mo
nchiq
ue Largo da
Alfândega
RD
22
R do
18
23
R Torrinha
Cabral
ista
R da Boav
R Álvares
Carolina
Michaelis
a
Aven
C4
D4
B1
C3
live
eO
Rd
ara
Av Vim
Peres
4
Rio
asílio
eda B
Alam
35
R Campo Alegre
4
To Campismo Marisol (4.5km);
Campismo Madalena (5km);
Campismo Salgueiros (7.5km)
Ponte da
Arrábida
3
D
0
0
Ὀ
ὈὈὈ
Ὀ
ὈὈὈ
ὈὈὈ
ὈὈ
὆὆὆὆
὆὆὆὆
὆὆὆὆
὆὆὆὆
Av da França
ira
Praça de
Mo
Mouzinho de
nte
32 Albuquerque R da Bo
iro
avista
Praca de
Pedro
Nunes ncelos
Cemitério de
o
Largo da
R de J Vasc
Agramonte
Lapa
ista
Av da Boav
8
C
feit
INFORMATION
Biblioteca Municipal Almeida
Garrett.................................1 B3
British Council..........................2 C2
German Consulate....................3 B1
Livraria Leitura.....................(see 35)
Tagus.......................................4 B2
Turismo................................... 5 D4
To Afurada (350m)
To Ferry to
Afurada (350m)
3
nqueiro
To Casa de Serralves (1.5km);
Museu de Arte Contemporânea (1.5km);
Parque de Serralves (1.5km)
ntu
Ci
Rua So
ares
te
rn
a
To Pousada da Juventude (1.2km);
31 (1.5km);
Era uma Vez no Porto (1.5km);
Foz do Douro (1.7km);
Hotel Boa Vista (1.7km);
Praia da Luz (1.7km);
Indústria (4.2km)
2
a
Vi
33
To Estádio do Bessa (500m);
French Consulate (600m);
British Consulate (1km);
Boa Nova Casa-Chá (7.5km)
Rua de An
Cardosotónio
1
uerra Ju
Rua G
B
lo
Sa
RD
eira
To Matosinhos (4km);
Airport (15km);
Campismo Angeiras (20km);
Vila do Conde (28km)
nça
R Go
io
mp
a
oV
R da Lapa
im
Band
A
tre
edr
om
P
Lobdrigue
o s
En
R
va
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oa
aB
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Casa da
Música
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R Santos Pousada
PORTO
d
ho
Rd
Trin R da
ida
de
Av dos Al
fonso
om A
Av Denriques
H
ei
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uc
R do Bom S esso
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lar
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ve
R de
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ue
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Carn
l To
rre
legria
Bon
R do
R
de Sá
da
Rd
R do R
sa
te
on
R da A
ram
g
eA
nta Cata
rina
is
in
oD
edo
Ro
R de Anibal Cunha
Av dos Aliados
R do Almada
to
rrest
er
eC
lé
úli
RJ
de Fo
Rd
e Lou
arrão
ria
que d
ro
tub
Ou
R de Camões
R da Aleg
gus
o IV
RA
u
R Dom Joã
R Du
R Anselmo Braancamp
e
e
5d
R de B
ntónio
a Rep
ública
ido
Când
Rua os Reis
d
THE DOURO
Rd
R Santa Catarina
Rua A
Rua G
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