Douro valley - Douro-Tal

The Douro valley lies in the Norte region in the North Portugal. The touristic region along the river valley is described here starting from the Spanish border to the gates of postage (A little later the Douro flows into the Atlantic). This travel guide delimits the tourist region along the Douro,

• in the north through the regions postage (west) and Trás-os-Montes (east),
• in the east by the spanish National border,
• in the south by the Centro region with the districts of Guarda (east) and Aveiro (west) as well
• to the west through the city postage.

background

The Douro Valley can be merged with the one located west of Porto lower Douro Valley and that further east, towards the Spanish border upper Douro Valley (Alto Douro) distinguish. While the valley in the west is even more populated and significantly greener, the landscape to the east becomes more lonely and increasingly barren. Regardless of this, the valley is intensely planted with grapevines throughout. In the west mainly the grapes for the Vinho Verde and in the east the vines for the port wine grow. Roughly in the middle and thus in the transition zone of the two regions Péso da Regua, the only larger town in the valley.

In terms of tourism, you can also choose between the northern and the southern side of the valley of the river running in east-west direction, which are only connected by a few bridges. The north side is of course more attractive because of its southern exposure.

Incidentally, the 897 kilometer long Duero / Douro is the third longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. Despite the designation "alto" (high), it is the lower section of the river in the Douro Valley. In Peso da Régua the river flows at an altitude of 49 m above sea level. N.N.

The whole Douro Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So there is no need to look for it.

places

None of the larger towns / cities in the Douro Valley are in themselves particularly worth visiting. But they are useful as a starting point for exploring the surrounding area, serve as transport hubs and offer everything you need for a trip. Mention should be made (from west to east):

• Peso da Régua - Largest city and economic center of the valley.
• Lamego - Known for the sparkling wine produced there, the Raposeira.
• Pinhão - Starting point for exploring the Upper Douro Valley (Alto Douro).
• Vila Nova de Foz Côa - Ancient rock paintings have been found near the city in the valley of the Rio Côa.

Incidentally, the steep and rugged Douro Valley is populated with a large number of small and tiny villages that blend nicely into the landscape and usually offer a small church and occasionally a bakery or, more rarely, a small shop.

Routes

The cultural landscapes of the valley, which were created over the centuries for wine growing, are particularly worth discovering. The following applies here the way as the goal, because not the cities or villages, but the landscape alone is the object of tourist interest here. Generations have terraced the land far up into the most remote and steepest corners of the valley in order to plant every inch of the fertile and barren landscape with grapevines. It is a relief for the soul to drive on the quiet and lonely streets through the vineyards and behind each of the countless bends to rediscover a breathtaking view of the river valley. On the way, numerous wineries (quintas) invite you to take a break with a glass of wine (or even a wine tasting) and a good meal.

Undoubtedly it is very worthwhile to visit the valley with both the ship as well as with the train explore, however, that alone offers automobile the opportunity to get up on remote roads and enjoy the special views from the vineyards and visit the high-altitude quintas. If you want to treat yourself to a convertible while on vacation, the investment is well invested here.

By car

By boat

River cruises are offered on the Douro. From the top feeder at Barca d'Alva on the Spanish-Portuguese border it is 209 km to the point where it flows into the Atlantic. The one-week cruises cost 1000 to 1500 €, including flights from Germany, depending on the travel time. info Article Spiegel-Online from 2010. Incidentally, the Douro is the only option for a river cruise on the Iberian Peninsula. All other larger rivers are not navigable. The lower reaches of the Douro are the only exception here.

By train

Other goals

language

getting there

mobility

Tourist Attractions

activities

• The Douro is navigable to a limited extent and invites you to take a river trip. Five locks have to be passed on the 211-kilometer route

kitchen

The Alto Douro wine-growing region is the oldest protected in the world and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The wine is the basis for the port wine The process that turns wine into port wine is called “fortification”, which means that the fermenting must is sprinkled with high-percentage ethyl alcohol. The actual fermentation process is stopped so that a considerable amount of residual sweetness is retained. Historically, port wine has essentially served the wishes of British importers, who had considerable financial resources at their disposal during the Empire. Portuguese had to make do with the right, unadulterated wine.

nightlife

security

climate

literature

• Christopher Pfaff: The Douro Valley: On the Road to World Heritage and the Most Beautiful Wineries Paperback - February 24, 2016. Books on Demand, ISBN 3739215143 .

Web links

• Visitportugal Douro Valley - officially