Seven cultural gems to discover on a Douro river cruise
While a fair portion of your time on a Douro cruise will be rightly dedicated to visiting wineries – or quintas, as they’re called in Portugal – you’ll also discover a host of pretty towns and villages scattered along the banks and in the hills around the river.
Often little-changed over centuries, you’ll feel as if you’re stepping back in time – not least because these sleepy spots aren’t overrun with other tourists.
But if you’re hoping for something a little more heavy-hitting when it comes to culture, you won’t be disappointed. Douro voyages are bookended by two fascinating cities, picturesque Porto, on the Atlantic, and grand Salamanca, the Spanish city that passengers visit from either Barca d’Alva or Vega de Terron, the furthest navigable point upstream for river cruise vessels.
Porto
Porto’s colourful buildings, crowned with terracotta tiles, rise up from the banks of the Douro in a tangle of narrow streets. Most cruise lines allow a full day in Porto as part of the cruise itinerary, but you’re likely to want to include an extra night or two to really make the most of this vibrant, fascinating city.
You won’t want to miss the charms of the Church of S?o Francisco with its gorgeous gilded Baroque interior, the imposing, neoclassical Palacio da Bolsa, and for something completely different, the avant-garde Casa da Musica, the work of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rem Koolhaas.
Discover blue and white murals made with Portugal’s signature azulejo tiles at S?o Bento station. Fans of Harry Potter – or simply beautiful buildings – will want to visit Livraria Lello, a historic bookshop frequented by a young JK Rowling that has sweeping staircases with more than a hint of Hogwarts about them.
Hop across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, home to the city’s wine cellars, where you can taste port from houses including Taylor’s, Graham’s and Sandeman.
Salamanca
Like a Spanish Oxford or Cambridge but with far more sun, Salamanca has been a university town since the 12th century, and today combines a storied heritage with a lively atmosphere created by its youthful, international students.
Its beautiful palaces and plazas, cathedrals and convents, crafted from golden sandstone, literally glow under the warming Castilian rays, and the historic centre is an architectural A to Z, with Romanesque, Gothic, Moorish, Baroque and Renaissance buildings nuzzling cheek by jowl.
Pace the sprawling, arcaded Plaza Mayor, marvel at the old university’s intricately carved fa?ade, and stop at a delicatessen to pick up some melt-in-the-mouth jamón ibérico de bellota from local, acorn-fed pigs.
Lamengo
The focus of visits to this pretty historic town south of the Douro River sits high above it. The sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, an effervescently Rococo-style, twin-towered shrine, is a place of pilgrimage, with a 686-step climb to reach it.
You won’t lose heart on the journey – the imposing staircase is decorated with azulejos and adorned with sculptures, so there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Reward yourself afterwards with a glass of Raposeira, a local sparkling white wine that’ll provide a change after all that port.
Vila Real
Set above the Corgo, a tributary of the Douro, Vila Real is most famous for the nearby Mateus Palace. You might recognise this extravagant Baroque villa from the labels on the iconic Mateus Rose bottles, although you won’t find the wine itself here – the image was licensed to a different vineyard. Tour the palace to see the elaborate carved ceilings, Chinese porcelain and 18th century furniture. The gardens, modelled after Versailles, are formal and French in style, with box hedges, rose bushes and water features. Back in Vila Real itself, the university’s botanic gardens are home to a host of rare native plants.
Castelo Rodrigo
With views over Portugal and Spain, this tiny hilltop border village was fortified in medieval times and still bears the scars of the territorial disputes that ensued. There’s a ruined castle and palace, but many historic sites are remarkably well preserved, including the parish church, 16th century pillory, and medieval cistern. Small shops sell local delicacies including honey, almonds, olive oil and cheese.
Pinh?o
Although you’ll probably spend most of your time docked in Pinh?o visiting the nearby quintas, this sleepy town has a particularly pretty setting and the railway station is worth a visit for its 1930s azulejos depicting scenes of grape-picking and port barges on the river.
C?a Valley
This valley is a vast, open-air gallery, home to more than one thousand examples of Palaeolithic rock art, dating back as much as 25,000 years. Ancient engravers scratched depictions of hunters, deer, horses, goats and oxen into schist slabs. At the C?a Museum you can see real and replica drawings on display, set the art in its historical context, and take expert-led tours out to sites in the valley to see the originals in situ.
How to do it
Viking cruises 10-day Portugal's River of Gold cruise from Lisbon to Porto calls at Régua for Lamengo and Vila Real, Barca D’Alva for Castelo Rodrigo, Salamanca and Pinh?o. From ￡2,745pp, departures from June to November 2019 (0800 458 69 00; vikingcruises.co.uk).
Other cruise lines offering voyages on the Douro include Scenic, Uniworld, APT, CroisiEurope, Emerald Waterways, Jules Verne, Riviera Travel and Saga.