# Northern Portugal

Northern Portugal (Portuguese: Região do Norte) is the "oldest" region of Portugal, where the nation began.

## Regions

* Douro Litoral centred on the city of Porto, now the capital of the Norte Region
* Minho Portugal's northernmost region, centered on the city of Braga and bordering Galicia, Spain
* Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Portugal's northeast corner, where vast plateaus, river valleys, mountains, and castles abound. The Alto Douro Wine Region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

## Cities

* 41.162142-8.6219531 Porto — the main hub and largest city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
* 41.266667-8.0666672 Amarante — a beautiful city and a popular pilgrimage destination
* 41.551111-8.4283333 Braga — the country's religious capital city, sprawling along the Cávado valley
* 41.806667-6.7588894 Bragança — one of the oldest cities in Portugal, with a fine medieval castle
* 41-8.6333335 Espinho — a seaside resort and fishing town
* 41.45-8.36 Guimarães — the founding place of the nation, an historic city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
* 41.100833-7.817 Lamego — an ancient city, dating back to Roman times, where D. Afonso Henriques was acclaimed the first King of Portugal in 1140
* 41.38-8.7608338 Póvoa de Varzim — one of the oldest fishing towns in Portugal, and a beach resort
* 41.7-8.8333339 Viana do Castelo — visitors come for the Pilgrimage of Nossa Senhora da Agonia and the amazing views of the Lima River

## Other destinations

* 41.199886-7.5341211 Alto Douro Wine Region – 2,000 year-old wine region, where Port wine (vinho do Porto) is produced, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
* 41.730339-8.1616812 Peneda-Gerês National Park — Portugal's only national park, set in the mountains of Peneda, Larouco, and Geres
* 41.033333-7.1166673 Prehistoric Rock Art Sites in the Côa Valley — prehistoric archaeological area and an inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site

## Understand

Região do Norte (rr(ih)-zhee-UHNW doo NOHR-t(ih), /ʁɨ.ʒi.ˈɐ̃w du ˈnoɾ.tɨ/)

### Visitor information

* Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal, ☏ +351 258 820 270, turismo@portoenorte.pt. They have tourist offices throughout the north of the country. (updated Jun 2021)

## Talk

While Portuguese is the national language throughout the country, Mirandese is a recognized local language spoken in the Terra de Miranda area around Miranda do Douro.

## Get in

* Campanhã railway station
* Sá Carneiro Airport (Porto Airport), (OPO)

## Get around

Drive, take the bus or train; subway in Porto metropolitan area.

## See

* Porto Riverside (Ribeira do Porto)
* Castles in Guimarães, Feira, Bragança
* Basilica in Viana do Castelo
* Valença Fortification
* Natural wonders of the Douro Valley, Miranda do Douro and Peneda-Gerês National Park

## Do

* Porto museums
* Walk through Dom Luis bridge$^{[deadlink]}$
* Beaches
* Casinos of Espinho and Povoa.
* Douro river cruise

## Eat

Bacalhau (cod), Francesinha

## Drink

Port wine

## Stay safe

Generally safe.

## Go next

* Aveiro — city noted for its canals and Art Nouveau architecture
* Beiras – Portugal's central region to the south
* Castile and Leon — Spanish region to the east and northeast with many UNESCO World Heritage cities
* Coimbra — site of Portugal's most oldest and most prestigious university
* Galicia — Spanish region to the north whose Galego language is closely related to Portuguese
* Viseu — historic cathedral city