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Getting around the rural villages and eastern depths of the Douro Valley can be challenging without a car. Still, it’s usually possible with patience, planning and Rodonorte’s local bus services Yet having your own car does bring its rewards The EN222 and N313-2 boast some of Portugal’s showiest stretches of road and you’ll cross countless miradouros as you approach the valley from above the downside to winery-hopping by road is you’ll need a designated driver.  With panoramas like this, it’s almost criminal to stay inside. Still, I always suggest starting at Peso da Régua’s Museu do Douro. The clear, colorful and engaging exhibitions here, in an 18th-century building where regulators once administered the world’s oldest demarcated wine region you can round off the visit with a glass of port in the upstairs tasting room bar with river-framing views Many Douro Valley wineries offer enotourism (wine tourism) experiences ranging from simple sips and vineyard tours or picnics to autumn’s vindimas activities – including traditional treading of the grapes by foot – and year-round bottling and blending master classes led by winemakers Vintage ports are always a highlight of any winery visit here – yet award-winning reds whites and rosés from the 75-plus cultivated grape varieties in the Douro DOC (Controlled Denomination of Origin) have become more prevalent since the 20th century.  Quinta do Bomfim part of the fifth-generation Symington estate that produces Dow’s and Cockburn’s ports – is a short distance from Pinhão’s train station especially if followed by lunch on the riverview terrace of Bomfim 1896 the Quinta do Vallado team has been hard at work since 1716 – a tradition you can experience through delicious daily tastings or pre-bookable workshops and you’ll stumble upon numerous adegas (cellars) small-batch wineries often affording the most wholesome experience passage through several locks and a wine-town visit Taking the train in and returning downstream on a one-way sailing is also possible For a more intimate encounter with this natural wonder, board a rabelo boat in Tua, Régua or Pinhão for a one-to-two-hour trip. These traditional wooden vessels were historically used to transport barrels to Vila Nova de Gaia’s port houses. Magnifico Douro’s solar-adapted boat provides even more subdued sailings than the standard crafts You can also pick up a kayak from their office on Pinhão pier for a slower With their stellar river views, Pinhão and Peso da Régua tend to get most of the attention of Douro Valley travelers – yet Lamego is arguably the Douro Valley’s most impressive settlement. Dominating the city is an almost-herculean, sculpture-embellished staircase leading to the 18th-century Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Trace the Rio Douro north – now forming the border with Spain – towards Trás-os-Montes; beyond Barca de Alva, the valley becomes the vulture-swooped Parque Natural do Douro Internacional an isolated and time-honored frontier town where Mirandês I love slowing down and spending a few nights in a river-view quinta Savoring the stillness of the moonlight-bathed Rio Douro and vines from a bedroom balcony – an on-site produced port in hand of course – is a highlight of my many indelible Portugal memories any stay is also an excellent opportunity for in-depth conversations with the farmers and vintners that produce the wines as you stroll from the vines to the panoramic pool I particularly love the traditional renovated schist workers’ cottages at Quinta de Ventozelo swoon-worthy pools and farm-to-table restaurant Arriving on a rabelo transfer from Pinhão all add to the magic where you can sleep in a giant wine barrel Though splurge-worthy experiences quickly add up the Douro Valley can be surprisingly fair-priced for such a famous wine region picnic and Douro Museum ticket with a three-wine tasting included a DIY day trip can cost as little as €45 (US$48) you can usually secure a double room in a local guesthouse (mid-week which is worth considering as there are no savings in buying a same-day round-trip train ticket prices quickly soar if you splash out on a boutique quinta stay vintage-only wine tour or Michelin-recommended restaurants – though tascas (family-run restaurants) can keep dining affordable as they mainly cater to locals Carry cash if you plan to use public transport or buy drinks (or bottles) onboard certain boats or from smaller wineries Self-catering apartment (including Airbnb): €50–120 (US$53–126) Double room in a river-view quinta: from €100 (US$105)  One-way train ticket from Porto to Pocinho: €14.50 (US$15.25) A glass of wine in a low-key bar: €2.50 (US$2.60) Typical tasca lunch for two: €30 (US$31.50) Upscale tasting menu with/without wine pairing: from €100/160 (US$105/168) per person Arranging a DIY visit to the Douro is easy – but hiring a private guide can be a worthy investment Some have special arrangements with wineries making for easier access to smaller vineyards including those that sell to the big producers This is especially true if you hire a driver-guide As in all of Portugal, children are made to feel welcome just about everywhere in the Douro Valley. While some wineries have minimum age requirements, others offer family-friendly activities, including Monverde, where children can taste and blend juices as parents work the grapes. Boat tours are usually half-price for under 12s, and free for toddlers. Absolutely: Portugal’s Atlantic Ocean beaches aren’t the only place to take a dip. Inland, you’ll find plenty of praias fluviais (river beaches), including sandy swimming spots in Porto Rei, Lomba and Praia do Castelo. Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email the government of António Guterres inaugurated the first Portuguese archaeological park ensuring legal protection to what was already the Côa Valley rock art complex Aida Carvalho highlights the many ongoing works at the site and an ongoing research agenda excavations will continue at the Pharisee's Paleolithic art site [rock 9] and at Cardina-Salto do Boi where an occupation by Neanderthal Man for 100,000 years was recently evident The surveys and excavations will be extended to the territory between the lower Côa and Siega Verde [Spain] to try to understand the forms of human occupation in this contiguous territory” For the president of the Foundation that manages PAVC this archaeological space has a fundamental role in the development of the territory in the affirmation of its populations and in the creation of services in the region “We have seen a continuous evolution and transformation and a diversification in the profile of the visitors” the visitor is no longer a mere consumer of closed products offered by travel agencies PAVC and the Foundation were able to adapt to new demands diversifying the types of visitation: all-terrain vehicles "We placed great hope in the recovery of tourism because we believe that there is a huge potential for growth in demand for tourist products based on cultural values such as the 'Gravura do Côa'" In statements to Lusa, the former director of PACV after the public disclosure of the rock finds in the Côa Valley born of an unusual mediation in which they opposed the Salvation of rock carvings in the face of the construction of a dam in Baixo Côa led to the identification of a vast group of sites which soon became one of the great archaeological discoveries in the world at the end of the millennium the dam under construction in Baixo Côa quickly became history which later resulted in the granting of a substantial indemnity to the construction company civil society and the mass movements that were born imposed on governments a reflexive halt to expansionist policies based on concrete and large works that took little account of the needs of an increasingly aging population in a interior increasingly deserted” recalled that the first ten years were "hot" with unforgettable battles for heritage that took the name of Vale Côa and the country to all corners of the planet the PAVC and the Côa Museum constitute a consolidated project and should continue to do so in the coming years “It is enough to continue to manage well what has been achieved in the last 25 years” another unavoidable name linked to the creation of PACV former director of the former Portuguese Institute of Archeology who was responsible for preparing the application process for the classification of World Heritage guaranteed to Lusa that “there is no doubt about the great scientific significance and heritage value of the Côa Valley rock art.” we arrive in Vila Nova de Foz Côa and the first thing we see are the posters of the municipality and other entities proudly proclaiming that Foz Côa is the only municipality in the country with two world heritage monuments the Douro wine region and its Paleolithic art I think that says everything about how common sense was the decision to abandon the project to build the dam and keep the prints as an Archaeological Park” The archaeologist argues that it is crucial that planning for the area of the Park is drawn up and put into effect without which the landscape that frames the engravings runs the risk of being profoundly altered in the long term "It is especially important for the State to complete the process of acquiring properties in which there are important nuclei of engravings (for example both for conservation reasons and to broaden the scope of the offer of sites that can be visited by the public" The art of Côa was classified as a National Monument in 1997 and Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) the Côa Valley has more than 1,200 rocks spread over 20,000 hectares of land with rock manifestations and distributed over four municipalities: Vila Nova from Foz Côa We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time What the devil does “1200 rocks have been discovered” actually mean You need better translations into English to clarify meaning Send us your comments or opinion on this article Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal Text description provided by the architects. The guiding principles and strategies of the project for the Pocinho Center for High Performance Rowing play their part in a dense and inextricable mixture that includes the peculiarities and identity of a pre-existing, specific “place”, the characteristics and demands of a very recent program, and the needs and wants of the architectural act. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGFor the demands of a very recent program, as is this case of a complex developed specifically for training and preparing high performance, Olympic level athletes, there is no or very little "historical precedent to put the words in the mouth of the president," as Sting put it a few years ago. For architects, in general, this only makes the challenge of the project more exciting. This case was no different. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGBetween them we find terraces and clusters of buildings (often between them and the river as well), abrupt, tense connections tearing through terraces , steep ramps, and stairs between walls, usually in the open, are covered here in order to meet the needs of the program. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGBut the choice of structuring/separating the program into three distinct zones is also a help in the effort to place the most-used zones on the same level, while minimizing eventual movements between levels, something that surely will not be foreign to the history of physical and spatial transformation of this valley, which we are only trying to reinterpret. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGThe above is also an expression of the typical understanding of the history of architecture at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto... not as an end in itself, but as one more element brought to the drawing board/computer, in coordination with other design problems. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGConcurrently, the set of aforementioned options, accepted or adopted, allowed for a more organized coordination of the principles of passive management of the building’s energy. In the housing area, used for longer periods of time with less physical activity, the "skin" exposed to the elements has been limited , and the structures leant up against and dug into the ground (as the Eskimos do with their igloos). Rooftop greenery reinforces this insulation. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGHaving defined the structures and the contours of the land, the site and the programmatic component of "lodging ", the two other more dynamic and "productive" major areas (Social Zone and Training Zone), impose themselves on the landscape, spreading out along several different levels in large white, formally dissimilar and volumetrically complex structures. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGAdopting a language and expressiveness of their own, and emerging as the most visible components of the project, they express the meaning of project and transformation, in contrast with the “shyness “of the terraces. Developed in conjunction with research on the characteristics and physical needs of each of the programmatic components, they emphasize the particularities of the relationship of these with the setting. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGThe communal areas for rest and relaxation take over the higher levels and look out over the countryside. Turning their backs to these are the training and workout areas, in an attempt to reflect the logic of effort and concentration that high performance athletes know so well. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGAn engaging and exciting challenge for the architect, the Center was also a challenge in investigation of the forms and processes of the integration of the specificity of "new" themes, such as accessibility and sustainability, which we seek to define, indefinitely, as... Architecture. Only architecture. Without labels. Without adding labels that only lessen it, such as "environmental ", "green", "accessible", or "sustainable”. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SGIf there is anything missing from this work of architecture, it is those who, I think, architects really work for: the people who will use it. © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG“Álvaro Fernandes Andrade teacher at the Oporto School of Architecture was involved in this project as Partner of spacialAR-TE Architecture You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker this is not the final destination for those who want to see the beauty of the almond blossom up close a bus will take you directly to the Foz Côa area there are two different programs to choose from Priced at 76€ (adults) and 39€ (children) this program departs from Campanhã at 7:25 am and arrives in Pocinho at 10:48 am This is followed by a bus ride to the Côa Museum and lunch at the Côa Museum Restaurant To make the most of the blossoming flowers, the CP initiative includes a visit to the Almond Blossom Festival in Foz Côa, as well as a stop in Castelo Melhor. Boarding for Porto is scheduled for 17:12 Bearing in mind that this program doesn’t include lunch, its price is relatively lower compared to the previous one. A trip for adults costs 51€ and for children 26€ The train leaves Campanhã at 7.25 am for Pocinho This is followed by a bus ride to Foz Côa to visit the Almond Blossom Festival the program is reserved for a guided tour of the spectacular Côa Museum Boarding to return to Invicta is scheduled for 17:12 According to the official CP – Comboios de Portugal website Editor’s note: for more information: consult the CP website. sanitation and waste can exceed €650 between municipalities with Amarante (Porto) and Fundão (Castelo Branco) being the places where you pay the most which analyses water bill tariffs (which includes water sanitation and waste) and covers 308 Portuguese municipalities there are significant disparities between municipalities The analysis was carried out based on tariffs in force in June 2024 water resources fee (TRH) and waste management fee (TGR) demonstrating the existence of differences in invoices putting at risk equitable access to essential services for an annual consumption of 120m3 (120 cubic meters) of water a family in Amarante pays an overall bill of 494.47 euros while in Vila Nova de Foz Côa the cost of the three services is just 94.09 euros – a difference of 400 euros” In the case of higher annual water consumption the discrepancy in the overall bill worsens saying that Fundão has a bill of 776.74 euros and Foz Côa of 125.92 euros Albergaria-a-Velha and Baião are the five municipalities where the overall bill (120 m3/year) is highest Vila Flor and Vila Nova de Paiva record the lowest values the ‘top 5’ of those with the highest bill is occupied by Fundão the same five municipalities led by Vila Nova de Foz Coa” of the 20 municipalities with the highest bills only five apply tariffs for large families on water “Deco PROteste does not find valid justifications for these disparities which cannot be explained solely by differences in investments in network rehabilitation or by inefficiencies in systems management” The consumer protection association also warns of “the financial unsustainability of some services Deco welcomed the strengthening of the powers of the Water and Waste Services Regulatory Entity (ERSAR) evaluate and audit the setting and application of tariffs that tariff harmonization has the necessary conditions to occur in the not too distant future “Deco PROteste has always rejected price increases when systems are inefficient Greater regulation and consequent harmonization will allow for more justice in access to essential services,” she said Os leitores são a força e a vida dos jornais. Contamos com o seu apoio, assine Os leitores são a força e a vida do PÚBLICO Foram as gravuras que puseram Vila Nova de Foz Côa no mapa e é fácil esquecer que também faz parte do Alto Douro Vinhateiro Uma encruzilhada de duas classificações da UNESCO que atravessaram muitos milénios — em forma de gravuras rupestres que a UNESCO classificou por serem “um exemplo único das primeiras manifestações da criação simbólica humana e o início do desenvolvimento cultural” No topo do Museu do Côa (já um miradouro antes de os miradouros se tornarem moda) é onde melhor se abarca este território — não se vê mas adivinha-se a união do rio Côa ao Douro na fundo da encosta É um local quase simbólico da união dos dois patrimónios mundiais: o Douro tem o seu na Régua as gravuras têm este museu — ambos são portas de entrada um espaços de contextualização e resumo do que se vê no seu estado natural estas concentram-se no Parque Arqueológico do Côa em três núcleos visitáveis sempre com guias — do próprio parque ou dos vários operadores turísticos com licença para o fazer; no caso do Douro cada visitante pode levar-se pelos seus caprichos O Barca Velha já não se produz aqui uma das mais recentes entradas no circuito turístico de Vila Nova de Foz Côa (abriu-se ao público em 2019) visita-se o talhão de onde saíam parte das uvas que o compunham vários projectos vitivinícolas voltaram-se para o Douro Superior numa espécie de espírito de (re)descoberta vinícola Vila Nova de Foz Côa não escapa e a Fundação Côa Parque entidade responsável pela arte rupestre do vale do Côa no seu plano estratégico para 2018-2020 não deixa de apontar “a existência de quintas vitivinícolas de grande qualidade e tradição” como factor capaz de contribuir para a atracção de turistas Porque se é verdade que é a arte rupestre o “produto” que mais se associa a Vila Nova de Foz Côa também é assumido que este é um turismo de nicho (que se junta à autodiagnosticada “incapacidade de afirmar o PAVC como activo turístico de relevância nacional”) e que a região poderá atrair mais turistas amendoeiras em flor que sazonalmente atraem como que peregrinações há a natureza agreste e primordial que elas salpicam entre uma multiplicação de montes revestidos a urze e que começam a desvendar-se em vários percursos pedestres há a própria vila com o seu compasso tranquilo em torno da igreja matriz manuelina a contiguidade de dois patrimónios mundiais Mas tal parece não ter reflexo na oferta turística lê-se no plano estratégico da fundação — e confirma-se no Registo Nacional de Turismo: sete empreendimentos turísticos no concelho e 12 empresas de animação turística relativos a 2020 (e que assinalam apenas seis empreendimentos turísticos) o número total de camas é 132 (64 no único hotel os restantes em cinco unidades de TER e TH) valores do TPN revelam um número de hóspedes em 2019 (antes da pandemia) de 5973 (7871 dormidas) para uma taxa líquida de ocupação de camas de 15% (a média da CIM Douro é de 29,1% São registos que põem Vila Nova de Foz Côa na cauda dos indicadores dentro da área classificada pela UNESCO do Alto Douro Vinhateiro Ecoam as palavras de Gaspar Martins Pereira em relação ao Alto Douro Vinhateiro: “A classificação não é uma varinha de condão.” Aqui pesam duplamente: afinal são dois patrimónios mundiais à espera que algo aconteça Com uma assinatura mensal tem acesso ilimitado a todos os conteúdos e cancela quando quiser Escolha um dos seguintes tópicos para criar um grupo no Fórum Público tornar-se-à administrador e será responsável pela moderação desse grupo Os jornalistas do PÚBLICO poderão sempre intervir Saiba mais sobre o Fórum Público receberá um email sempre que forem feitas novas publicações neste grupo de discussão Estes são os autores e tópicos que escolheu seguir Pode activar ou desactivar as notificações Receba notificações quando publicamos um texto deste autor ou sobre os temas deste artigo The Almond Tree Route, from CP – Comboios de Portugal offers trips between Porto and Vila Nova de Foz Côa classified as a UNESCO heritage site; visit the Côa Museum the Prehistoric Art of the Côa Valley; and see one of the region's natural spectacles The journey will be available over three weekends, between February 15 and March 2, this year, with the new feature of the train that runs the route having a cafeteria and bar, on board a restaurant carriage restored by CP – Comboios de Portugal “On one of the routes it will also be possible to choose to have lunch at the Côa Museum tasting a menu full of delicacies and including local products” “This railway tourism project is one of CP’s contributions to enhancing the region’s value It is important to bring tourists to the interior especially to areas with great cultural and historical value says the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CP – Comboios de Portugal official effort to bring recognition to areas of the country other than on the Atlantic coast