“The natural beauty of the landscape staging an honoured tradition”

History, tradition and natural paradise merge in perfect harmony in the oldest region of Portugal, its birthplace.

Here history recedes to the cave paintings in Vila Nova de Foz Côa and manifests itself in the medieval castles and monasteries, in the small Romanic churches, in the manor houses and aristocratic country houses, in the great 18th century sanctuaries. The heritage of a remote past, the historic wealth and the profound traditions show themselves in every recondite place of the region.

In the North we find a proud people quite fond of its traditions. A pride that marks those traditions with the eternity seal, by perpetuating popular festivals, traditional dancing and singing, feasts where Christian rituals and pagan spirit blend. Laughter and colours scatter happiness in the air.

Porto and the North of Portugal offer landscapes of surpassing beauty, which make this Portuguese region a natural paradise. In the region of Minho (from North of Porto and up to the frontier with Spain) lies a region covered with a luxuriant green, often described as an immense amphitheatre facing the ocean. Beautiful beaches fulfil the coast with its summer resorts and enchanting villages such as Caminha and Vila Nova de Cerveira.
The northeast region of Trás-os-Montes is famous for its natural resources and wild landscape – impressive valleys with its bright colours, scarps and plateaux. Its botanical and landscape greatness makes Trás-os-Montes a unique region.
Dense, colourful and profound, the Douro region is above all river and vineyard. Its vineyards planted in terrace-wide steps that follow the mountain’s slopes all the way down to the river, offer unparalleled scenery in the world.

The North of Portugal’s gastronomy is a flavour festival where you can still taste the typical recipes conceived by its people. In Minho, gastronomy is a cultural manifestation, a visiting card to the Portuguese traditional cuisine. Rich in land products, as well as sea and river fishes along with its exquisite convent pastry and fresh Vinho Verde, the region offers an attractive cuisine.
The typical Trás-os-Montes cuisine is robust and very nutritional: pork, beans and chestnuts are frequent ingredients in its recipes. Sausages, Posta Mirandesa (veal roasted in hot embers), “folares”, “bolas” and the Chaves and Valpaços wines are part of a selection of specialties.
The Douro region is also copious in flavours and aromas: the regional bread baked in wood stoves, the “caldo verde” (a thick soup made from shredded cabbage, potatoes and a slice of sausage), the “Tripas à Moda do Porto” (a typical dish made from animal’s entrails), and the variety of codfish dishes. The famous sparkling wines, but specially the worldwide renowned Douro’s vineyard site wines complete the region’s gastronomic cuisine.
When thinking of Porto and the North of Portugal one cannot picture the land of contrasts, the natural beauty and wild landscapes, the traditional festivals, striking gastronomy and unmatched handicrafts: a travel to the heart of Portugal.

Popular Festivals:
Holy Week Festival, Braga
St. John's Festival, Porto, June
St. Torcato's Festival, Guimarães, July
Festival of Senhora da Agonia, Viana do Castelo, Agosto
Festival of Senhora do Amparo and St. Tiago Fair, Mirandela, July/August
Festival of Senhora dos Remédios, Lamego, September