when we scanned our blogpost archives we realized that we do not have any posts about portugal yet nor have any suggestions for you as to what to explore and see there. Therefore, we decided to write this week´s post based on a day trip in portugal.
so just let me take you to a trip starting in oporto (also known as porto). but before we will start the trip, here is a short overview about the city.
oporto located along the douro river estuary in northern portugal, is a registered unesco world heritage site in 1996. the city’s actual name is porto, but when preceded by a definite article ‘o’ in portuguese meaning ‘the’ in english, it is written as ‘o porto’ meaning ‘the port’ in english.
being the second-largest portuguese city after lisbon, oporto is also one of the most prominent urban areas in southern europe. its rich history which dates back to many centuries enriches its cultural wealth as the city is one of the oldest european centers. varied historical monuments including the cathedral with its romanesque choir, neoclassical stock exchange and the typical portuguese manueline-style church of santa clara depict cultural richness.
since ever oporto’s shipbuilding industry is growing and growing. its ports have been responsible for the production and export of the fortified wine to great extents. ‘port wine’, a gift to the world is named after the city of oporto.
so our trip starts in oporto and it is not a tipical sightseeing tour as you have in almost every city, no, we will take you on a cruiser and sail through the douro river valley combined with a wine testing of the famous wines of this region. the cruisertrip is offered only for small groups (max. 8 person) so that you have an
individual atmosphere and take advantage of the guide.
the source of the river is in spain, 200 km from where it spillst out into the atlantic in oporto. yet the douro valley in northern portugal between mesão frio and pinhão, where the vineyards precariously cling to the steep terraces on either side, of the river is the most beautiful part with one of the most beautiful wine regions worldwide and one of the best ways to full appreciate to travel through it by river cruise.
the landscape looks like a giant’s steps and the views are truly majestic. this is where port wines are produced in historic quintas (wine estates), and the region is a magnet for wine collectors as portugal’s most famous cult wines are made here from barca velha to quinta do noval.
during the day trip you also will make a stop and visit one or more (depend on the touroperator) of these boutique cellars (enjoying a private tour and wine tasting) and have lunch or dine in a traditional portuguese restaurant.
the trip is a must-do for all the people who enjoy the different tastes of wines or just want to spend a romantic day with their lover on a cruiser, enjoying the view and try the best portuguese wines.
travelchronicles-acrossspain.com 