Top Five Places To Visit In North Portugal
A person visiting Europe already has a faint idea in mind of what he's going to see (thanks to the number of hollywood flicks we have seen in our lifetime).The visitor's dream of having surreal cities with rivers flowing in between the two halves, the status carved in the most delicate manner, the beaches carrying their golden sands with the water and none the less the lush green farm lands containing a road to give you the perfect drive of your life. For people who got bored with looking at the landscapes of the nature , you can always look out for the different forms of art,music,science and literature in europe since it was the place where renaissance took birth.
Visiting North Portugal could be an awesome start if one is looking to take an escape from the cliched sites in europe. After all we're in the 21st century and visiting the eifel tower , le louvre etc somehow doesn't feel that exciting anymore,You're girlfriend would probably smack you in the face and say I had already seen the HDR image of this one. The real one looks bad in front of that. Anyhow, North Portugal was basically the kingdom of Dom Afonso Henriques who was born in the 12th century who got bored with seeing the same old seas everyday and wanted to venture down into the south. His major support being the christian reconquest which didn't give him much problems.
Guimaraes was the start for Portugal and could be an excellent spot to start your journey to the north of portugal. Guimaraes will lead you to a city called Citania de Briterios celtic fortified settlement old as the iron age and is one of the best preserved sites in Portugal looking over the river ave, the ambience taking you back at least 500 years back into time.
If you happen to be a dipsomaniac (excuse me for using too strong a word here) , duoro valley could be your place to be. The home of the famous wine de porto , it could be a magical experience for you to travel and spend a night in Casal de Loivos. On your way to the valley you pass the River Tamega most probably standing over an old bridge giving you a thrilling experience of the city.While you admire the river , you can sample some of the region's sweets and desserts. Papos de Anjo,Bolos de S goncalo, Brisas do tamega are quite delicious.
Next close to the spanish border, comes the Vale do Coa National Archaeological Park.Having One of the largest collection of outdoor Palaeothilic Rock paintings, it has been classified as a world heritage. The rocky banks themselves are an art gallery engraved with mysterious art you would have never seen before.
If you wish to explore the change in Portugal during the period when Renaissance hit Portugal, Braganca is the place to be. A mighty city with classic examples of civic romanesque architecture, the Domus Municipalis stands with medieval castles and walls.
North Portugal cannot be limited to just five places to explore. After all they had a hard time building the city and we would give our respect to the builders of the city and explore into the Portugal dense forests into the wilderness.