The Douro the DOURO
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© Lonely Planet Publications 382 The Douro 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 Unesco- declared 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 burgeon- ing 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 once- important 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 Vale do Côa riverfront promenades of Porto’s cinematic Amarante Ribeira district ( p389 ) Ribeira Alto Douro District Sampling a late-bottled vintage at a port- wine lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia ( p393 ) Vila Nova de Gaia Relaxing beside the Rio Tâmega and its 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 lonelyplanet.com 0 1 km PORTO 0 0.5 miles To Matosinhos (4km); Casa da 30 To Estádio do A B Música C D To A3/IP1 E F Airport (15km); R de 5 de (1km); A4 (3km); Dragão (700m) Campismo Angeiras (20km); Braga (57km) Vila do Conde (28km) Outubro 17 EATING R de Oliveira Monteiro R Santa Catarina 3 Carolina 38 Don Tonho II.........................21 D4 To Estádio do Bessa (500m); Av da França Michaelis 8 Boavista Largo Guernica................................22 C2 PORTO 1 French Consulate (600m); Av da Boavista Praça de Lapa Lapa 25 British Consulate (1km); Nakité....................................23 C2 Mouzinho de R do Bonjardim R de Barrão de R do Paraíso Boa Nova Casa-Chá (7.5km) 32 R da Boavista R de AgramonteAlbuquerque R Dr Alfredo Restaurante O Verde R de Camões R Júlio Dinis Praca de Magalhães Vegetariano.......................24 C3 Pedro R de Anibal Cunha R da Boavista Tv da Fontinha Sabor de Minas.......................25 E1 33 Nunes R da Lapa R da Rua Soares de Passos Cemitério de Escola Sitar.......................................26 C4 R Dom João IV Agramonte Largo daὈR de J Vasconcelos Forrester R Álvares Cabral 19 Lapa Praca da 40 Tromba Rija...........................27 D4 República 36 R Gonçalo Cristovão 20 R Santos Pousada Rua António Carneiro Sampaio R do Bom S R do Pedro Cruz Cardoso 35 DRINKING Rua Guerra Junqueiro Rua de António çalo R da Alegria Bazaar....................................28 B3 To Casa de Serralves (1.5km); drigues Gon Via de Ro Lobo Hard Club..............................29 C3 R R Anselmo Braancamp Museu de Arte Contemporânea (1.5km); R Praca da R Torrinha See Central Porto Map (p388) Parque de Serralves (1.5km) ucesso Av Fernão de Pride Bar................................30 D1 R Campo Alegre Galiza Trindade R da Cintura 39 Station Firmeza Magalhães Rota do Chá..........................31 C2 R da 4 R do Almada 2 R de Cedofeita 37 Solar do Vinho do Porto......(see 14) Interna R da Piedade 23 Trinidade Campo 24 Av dos Aliados Triplex.................................... B1 R da Alegria 32 2 R Santa Catarina R do Breiner de Agosto R do Rosário R Fernandes Tomás To Pousada da Juventude (1.2km); R de 18 ὈὈ R de Sá da Bandeira Ὀ Bolhão 31 (1.5km); Rua Duque de Saldanha Era uma Vez no Porto (1.5km); Vilar 16 34 R Formosa 22 Rua Duque da Terceira Foz do Douro (1.7km); R dos Moinhos R da Boa Nova 31 13 Hotel Boa Vista (1.7km); Quintas R Rua Sto Ildefonso To Campanhã Dom Av dos Aliados R de Passos Mateus Praia da Luz (1.7km); Manuel R Alberto A Train Station; Gouveia Manuel R Dom Pedro V R Entre II Indústria (4.2km) Alameda Basí 11 R Morgado Wasteels (600m) 1 de Freitas Rua do Ouro lio Teles 24 Clérigos Av Rodrigues R dos São Bento Rua de Ponte da S Vitor 14 Train Station R Fontainhas To Ferry to Arrábida Rio Douro Massarelos 9 Largo do Afurada (350m) Viriato Av Dom Afonso 28 R da Restauração Henriques ὈὈR de Monchique12 ὈὈὈ 3 Largo da R Augusto Rosa R Duque de Loulé Alameda Alfândega To Campismo Marisol (4.5km); das ENTERTAINMENT Campismo Madalena (5km); R Mouzinho da Silveira Fontainhas Ribeira Casa das Artes........................33 A1 To Afurada (350m) Campismo Salgueiros (7.5km) R Nova da Alfândega Av Vimara Peres Cinema Centro Comercial Cidade do INFORMATION Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar.....10 D4 Av Gustavo Eiffel Porto...............................(see 35) Biblioteca Municipal Almeida Museu do Carro Eléctrico ...... B3 11 29 Ponte de SHOPPING Garrett.................................1 B3 Museu do Vinho do Porto......12 C3 R de Dom Luís I CC Bombarda........................ C2 British Council..........................2 C2 Museu Nacional Soares dos Cais de Gaia 34 German Consulate....................3 B1 Reis....................................13 C2 Campos Ὀ Centro Comercial Cidade do 21 Avenida da República Porto..................................35 B2 Livraria Leitura.....................(see 35) Museu Romântico..................14 B3 Cais Amarelo 10 Tagus.......................................4 B2 Ramos Pinto..........................15 D4 7 Cais de Turismo...................................5 D4 Rua Miguel Bombarda...........16 C2 Ramiro Mercado Rua Cândido TRANSPORT 6 Gaia Diogo Leite 5 4 Municipal Av dos Reis Jardim AV Minho & Arriva Bus Pinto Av General Torres do Morro Terminal............................36 D2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES SLEEPING Rei Rua 27 Vila Nova Ramos 15 Rua Eurolines & Santos Buses........37 E2 Barcos Rabelos.........................6 C4 Castelo Santa Catarina...........17 D1 de Gaia 26 Calém......................................7 D4 Hotel Eurostars das Artes.......18 C2 Europcar.................................38 E1 Casa da Música........................8 B1 Residencial Rex......................19 D1 To Taylor's To Vila Internorte Buses.....................39 B2 383 Nova de Gaia Jardim do Palácio de Cristal.....9 C3 Residencial Solar da Avenida...20 E2 To Barros (50m); Barão de To Rozés TCL........................................40 E1 (50m) Fladgate (50m) (300m) (300m) THE DOURO DOURO THE.