Holiday travels - northern and center Portugal
July...the first real vacation since I´m here. I´ve been thinking since some time that in the summer we´ll visit all Portugal, and not only. We started with the north: Porto-Braga-Guimarães-Gerês.
Porto
Porto is the second most important and second biggest city in Portugal. The country and the Porto wine took their name from the city of Porto. It´s crossed by Douro river, and it´s also a port at the Atlantic. It´s 2 bridges have been built by Gustave Eiffel, and it´s said that the train station of Porto is one of the most beautiful of Europe
Carlos Paião, Vinho do Porto (Vinho do Portugal)
Porto
Porto is the second most important and second biggest city in Portugal. The country and the Porto wine took their name from the city of Porto. It´s crossed by Douro river, and it´s also a port at the Atlantic. It´s 2 bridges have been built by Gustave Eiffel, and it´s said that the train station of Porto is one of the most beautiful of Europe
Carlos Paião, Vinho do Porto (Vinho do Portugal)
On Ribeira; in the back - Dom Luís bridge
On Dom Luís bridge
The other bridge
A lovely place is Ribeira, an area next to the river, near to Dom Luís bridge.
Ribeira
Porto and...
Gaia
The atmosphere is great. It was really a pleasure to be in Porto again (first time I´ve been some months ago, but I´ve seen it a bit in a hurry). We stayed 2 days, time in which we chose to see the most important touristic points, with a sightseeing tour bus; it´s easier this way when it´s a big city, and when you don´t have a lot of time to hang around...and it is good because you can get down where and when you want, the ticket being valid all day.
In a public garden in Porto
In the same garden
At the Cheese Castle (Castelo do Queijo)
I´ve seen this kind of "cheese" castles in several cities, near the beach
:D
A lighthouse of Porto
The impression about Porto is the one of a city in stairs, there´s a rocky ground in the area, it´s a very picturesque image.
Porto, seen from the other side of the river, from Gaia
A pretty steep streetI´ve seen a lot of churches, most of them decorated with blue "azulejos", some also in the exterior.
Church with "azulejos" in the exteriorIt would be interesting a comparison with Lisbon. Porto is a more traditional, more closed city than the capital, but in the same time with some very kind and friendly people. It´s been said about the people from the north in general - there are jokes about this, of course :-) - that they swear pretty much :D.
More pictures from Porto
Braga
In our trip followed Braga, one of the oldest Portuguese city, with a history of 2000 years, founded in the time of the Romans. It´s a town full of history and traditions, and it´s considered the main centre of religious studies, having the biggest number of churches on square metre.
In our trip followed Braga, one of the oldest Portuguese city, with a history of 2000 years, founded in the time of the Romans. It´s a town full of history and traditions, and it´s considered the main centre of religious studies, having the biggest number of churches on square metre.
The most well known place in the surroundings of Braga is the sanctuary Bom Jesus do Monte, with the beautiful church and the impressive stairs. We went up with an elevator (good choice :-), because it´s a lot to climb). Up there it´s a church sourrounded by gardens, also a terrace, with a nice panorama.
The church from Bom Jesus
Gardens sourrounding the church
View over Braga from the terrace
Many stairs, but it was worth it...
The stairs seen from up
Getting down...
From down it´s visible the famous image of the stairs of Bom Jesus do Monte:
At dinner with the Brazilians (friends of our flatmate, Luciana) - at which we stayed in Braga - Sergio & Rafael
"Aqui nasceu Portugal" ("Here was born Portugal") - that´s what it says about Guimarães. It´s one of the most important historical Portuguse cities, it´s old historical center being world heritage.
My first impression when I got to Guimarães was that it didn´t have the image that I had in mind...it didn´t seem an old town, historical or traditional...but just a town like all the others, with banks, stores, supermarkets...we were still in the new, modern part of the town. I discovered the image that I had about Guimarães - old picturesque streets, very well preserved, churches, monuments, squares, the Guimarães castle, with a fairytale atmosphere...
Near the historical center
Praça da Oliveira, in the old center of Guimarães
Little street in the old center
At the statue of Afonso Henriques, the founder and the first king of Portugal
Guimarães castle
In the interior
The panorama from one of the towers
Climbing in the highest tower of the castle
It was worth to get until the top :-)More pictures from Guimarães
Peneda-Gerês National Park
Also in the north, is Peneda-Gerês, the only national park (72.000 hectares) of Portugal, which is stretching until the border with Spain (Galicia).
Some consider that between Portugal and Galicia shouldn´t be a border, in other words that Galicia would belong to Portugal...
Galicia, seen from the borderWe liked it very much, as it was something different from what we saw until then in Portugal. We were in the middle of nature and honestly, the mountains and the landscapes reminded me of the ones from Romania. The highest peak has 1.545 m (Nevosa), it is at the border, the mountains stretching in Spain.
Specific to the landscape is the constant presence of water; there are a lot of cascades, and the park is crossed by many rivers.
A lake with boats
It´s been some time since we went with the boat :-)...
A natural poolThere are also several villages in the national park, with traditional houses.
More pictures from Gerês
This was the vacation of July, one full week, with many interesting places being vizited.
In August we were in some cities of center / center-west of the country: Óbidos-Peniche-Évora-Alcobaça-Nazaré. We visited also an island that not many Portuguese know about (and even less have been there) - Berlenga - bt I´ll describe this in the next post.
Óbidos
Before entering the castle
The name comes from the Latin oppidum meaning fortress. Indeed, Óbidos is a small town-fortress, very cozy, with a fairytale atmosphere. In July 2007 there were nominated the 7 wonders of Portugal, among them also Óbidos Castle (Seven Wonders of Portugal).
Óbidos este unul din locurile care m-a impresionat cel mai mult...prin atmosfera; simti ca e un oras viu, cu un farmec aparte: castelul medieval, casutele albe pictate la baza cu albastru, galben sau rosu, turistii care se plimba pe stradutele inguste cu casute cu flori la geam. Oraselul fortareata nu e numai vizitat, ci si locuit...cum ar fi sa traiesti intr-un loc de basm ca asta? De asemenea e considerat cel mai romantic orasel, multe cupluri venind sa se casatoreasca aici .
Óbidos is one of that places that impressed me the most...because of it´s atmosphere; you feel that it´s so alive, with a special charm: the medieval castle, the white houses painted at the base with blue, yellow or red, the tourists that walk around on the narrow little streets with houses with flowers at the windows. The town-fortress is not only visited, but it´s also inhabited...how would it be to live in a fairytale place like this? Also Óbidos is considered the most romantic town, a lot of couples are coming here to get married.
The interior of the church, painted with "azulejos"
What we also saw interesting in the gardens at the base of the castle´s walls, were some deer:
We walked on the fortress´ walls, we admired the panorama, also the interior...
Peniche
Along its coast there can be found a big variety of beaches. Near the port Peniche it´s the archipelago of Berlenga, today a nature rezervation.
In the past (Middle Eve) Peniche was an island, near to the continent - aproximately 400-500 m, and it´s believed that its name comes from Phenix, the name of an antique fortress on Crete island, beacuse of the geografical resemblance.
In the past (Middle Eve) Peniche was an island, near to the continent - aproximately 400-500 m, and it´s believed that its name comes from Phenix, the name of an antique fortress on Crete island, beacuse of the geografical resemblance.
In a small park
A typical castle (similar with the Cheese Castle from Porto) on the beach
The entrance in the fort of Peniche
In the fort
More pictures from Peniche
Évora
The city exists from the time of the Roman empire and preserves mostly in its historical center, traces of different civilisationes and cultures: Celtic, Roman, Arabic, Judaic and Christian, that had influenced the culture of Évora. It reached its apogee in XV century, when it became the residence of the kings of Portugal. The architectural and artistic quality of the white houses or decorated with azulejos and of the verandas of forged iron is unique. The city´s monuments had also a big influence on the Portuguese architecture in Brazil.
The historical center is delimited by the medieval walls of the city. From Giraldo square start all the main streets, in radial structure.
Praça do Giraldo
S. Antão church, in Giraldo square
The historical center is delimited by the medieval walls of the city. From Giraldo square start all the main streets, in radial structure.
Praça do Giraldo
S. Antão church, in Giraldo square
The most important monuments are: the Roman Temple (also known as Diana´s Temple), Sé Cathedral, the university, São Francisco church, the Chapel of Bones (this seemed the strangest and most lugubrious thing that I saw in Évora).
The Roman Temple (or "mine" :P)
Sé Catherdral
In the interior
The university of Évora
The yard
The Chapel of Bones from São Francisco church
"Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos" - "We bones here, for yours await"
Then Pedro orders the construction of a majestuous grave for his beloved Inês, in Alcobaça monastery, place where he asked to be burried also, to be closer to her. Thus, in the monastery there can be seen the graves of the two, placed one in front of the other.
The grave of Inês de Castro
The grave of Pedro
The Roman Temple (or "mine" :P)
Sé Catherdral
In the interior
The university of Évora
The yard
The Chapel of Bones from São Francisco church
The Chapel of Bones was something lugubrious, even thought the reason of its construction, by 3 Franciscan monks in XVI-XVII centuries, was the reflection of the idea that the man´s life is short, transitory, like the inscription at the entrance is suggesting.
"Nós ossos que aqui estamos pelos vossos esperamos" - "We bones here, for yours await"
The walls and pillars of the chapel are "decotared" with bones and skulls, coming from approximately 5000 human skeletons, from several cemeteries of the city.
More pictures from Évora
More pictures from Évora
Alcobaça
The 2 rivers that cross the town are Alcoa and Baça, from which the name of the town is coming. Alcobaça is mainly well known for the Alcobaça monastery, built in a different style of the one of the majority of the Portuguese monasteries - in Cistercian style; name that comes from the Order of Cistercians (Catholic order of monks). Initially the order was set up by the monks of the benedictine monastery of Cîteaux (in Latin Cistercium).
The monastery
A part of the square in front of the monastery
What is specific to the style of construction of the monastery: high pillars of white stone, without to many decorations.
The cloister
The hall of the kings of Portugal, and with scenes painted with azulejos
In the interior there is the monastery´s kitchen, of huge dimensions:
Hornul
The dining room - up there was staying the one that was telling stories while the people were eating
The monastery
A part of the square in front of the monasteryWhat is specific to the style of construction of the monastery: high pillars of white stone, without to many decorations.
The cloister
The hall of the kings of Portugal, and with scenes painted with azulejos
Hornul
The dining room - up there was staying the one that was telling stories while the people were eating
In the monastery are burried Pedro and Inês. The story of the 2 lovers is known in all Portugal, at Alcobaça being also a celebration festival in their memory. Dom Pedro I, king of Portugal, gets married with the Castilian princess Constança Manuel, but he falls in love with one of her companions, Inês de Castro. When his wife dies, Pedro doesn´t keep secret anymore his relation with Inês. Pedro´s father, Afonso IV, being afraid of the influence that the family de Castro could of have over the Portuguese throne, he organizes the murder of Inês.
Then Pedro orders the construction of a majestuous grave for his beloved Inês, in Alcobaça monastery, place where he asked to be burried also, to be closer to her. Thus, in the monastery there can be seen the graves of the two, placed one in front of the other.
The grave of Inês de Castro
The grave of Pedro
Nazaré
According to the legend, the name of the town comes from a staue of the Virgin Mary, brought by a monk in IV century from Nazareth, Palestine.
It became a touristic attraction point, being known as a picturesque fishermen´ village. Being at the ocean, it has many long beaches, full of tourists in the summer.
It became a touristic attraction point, being known as a picturesque fishermen´ village. Being at the ocean, it has many long beaches, full of tourists in the summer.
The old center of the town is on a hill near to the beach, where you can get with an elevator or on foot, and from where there is a great view over Nazaré, the beach and the ocean.
Up in the old center
View from the hill
Nossa Senhora da Nazaré church - from the old center, on the hill
Up there
We went down on foot - it was faster, as at the elevator there was a really long cue
More pictures from Nazaré
We were very satisfied that we managed to see pretty much in the vacations of July and August, planning for September one outside Portugal.
posted by Diana @ 14:15
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