Stages 24 : Start in Viseu
In this countryside Portuguese way to Santiago de Compostela you will be able to discover both an architectural world of excellence of unique historical origins and unforgettable stories, as well as breathtaking landscapes.
Wandering around this path we’ll find in Viseu, for example, the incredible National Museum of Grão Vasco, or the oldest party of Portugal, St. Mateus, and in Douro, you will notice that everything has the fragrance of wine. It is worthy to mention that this region is the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. In Peso da Régua you will discover the Miradouro of St. Leonardo de Galafura, which has a magnificent view over the Douro Valley, where you can visit the Douro Museum.
In Vila Real, a city known for its cheese, wine and typical sausages, you will find emblematic monuments from the Mateus’s Palace, the Cathedral of Vila Real and the Sanctuary of Panóias surrounded by the beauty of the Alvão Natural Park.
The water factor is an essential resource in this route, once the thermal wealth is a key factor in all cities, from Vidago, Pedras Salgadas, Chaves in Portugal, and Verín, in Spain. The best natural mineral sparkling water in the world is obtained in Pedras Salgadas, locality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar. The Chaves-Verín euro-city hosts the largest variety of mineral and medicinal waters in the world per km.
Already in Spanish territory, from Verín where the magnificent castle of Monterrei is located, the largest Galician acropolis that once welcomed the first impression; through Ourense to Ponte Ulla, a unique resource of thermal waters can be found, which invites people to enjoy its unique and healing properties, as well as to visit the beautiful and well-preserved localities, which include a rich heritage in cathedrals, churches and monuments of unique historical value in the known worldwide.
