The Rio Douro valley in the northern part of Portugal is one of the earliest cultural landscapes in Europe. Prehistoric rock paintings were created on the slopes of the Rio Côa as early as 30,000 years ago.
The climate in the eastern part of the Rio Douro is particularly suitable for growing grapes and helped port wine to become famous. In 1756, the Portuguese Secretary of State of the Kingdom, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, had the Alto Douro wine-growing region demarcated with 335 markers. The vineyards were then classified according to quality. Only the high-quality products from the best vineyards were allowed to be exported. This makes the Alto Douro wine-growing region the oldest in the world, with a protected designation of origin. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
The Douro is also important for energy production. Five dams with hydroelectric power stations are in operation on Portuguese territory alone.
At a length of 108 km, the Douro forms the natural border between Spain and Portugal.
We take the train from Porto to Pocinho and the same route back, stopping in Pinhao.
The railroad line first runs east of Porto through the hilly mountains, passes through the towns of Ermesinde, Suzão, São Martinho do Campo, Terronhas, Recarei-Sobreira, and Paredes before turning south in Caíde and crossing the Rio Tamares at Marco de Canaveses.
It is early February, and the sun is fighting against the fog and clouds in the morning hours, creating a fascinating atmosphere.
At Ribadouro we meet the Douro again. The Douro appears very wide at this point, but this is because the reservoir of the Barragem de Carrapatelo power station is already located here.
The entire journey along the Douro alternates between vineyards, forests, and fruit tree plantations. At the beginning of February, the orange harvest is in full swing.
Shortly after Godim, the river narrows, and the slopesmove closer together and become rockier. After about 3 km, the next dam was built with the Barragem da Régua power plant, and the river course widens again.
More and more vineyards stretch across the slopes, and large, well-known wineries appear in the landscape.
From Pinhao, the valley becomes significantly narrower again, and the current in the Douro increases significantly. From here, there is no road along the river.
The next dam with the Barragem da Valeira power station is clearly visible from the track but, like the others, is bypassed through a tunnel.
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More InformationVideo Vale de Douro e Pinhao, Music by Johannes Kayser
After this, the rock faces rising 400 m into the air come right up to the banks. This is the best place to get an idea of the difficulties the builders of the railroad line had to contend with.
But when the Douro Valley was first cultivated, the wine had to be transported to Porto by ship – a journey of up to three weeks. After the railway was built, this became much easier and quicker, thereby enabling the region’s economic development
We reach Pocinho, the center of wine production. Here in the hinterland is the mildest climate, best suited to the ripening of grapes and wine production. However, we only have 20 minutes before we return to Pinhao. Not enough time for longer excursions.
In Pinhao, we admire the mosaic paintings at the train station, which are famous far beyond the country’s borders and are an excellent depiction of the agricultural life of the region in the past. We then visit the wine and tapas bar Cardanho dos Presunto, where the owner prepares us an excellent chorizo.
Afterward, we would like to visit a wine cellar or a winery, but it is not yet high season, and the Quinta das Carvalhas only offers wine tasting but no guided tour. The Quinta do Bomfim is completely closed.
Nevertheless, we are lucky, and the friendly operator of the DOW allows us to take a look inside his modern wine cellar
We now take the train back to Porto, which we reach after dark.
A visit to this region is definitely worth it, but you should bring a little more time with you and plan a few overnight stays and perhaps a river cruise.
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