Porto, the Douro & Trás-os-Montes - Portugal - page 825

Near the guided tour starting point, a wine shop offers tastings of three locally produced
wines for €4. Especially interesting is the Alvarelhão, which is essentially the same fine
rosé originally bottled by Mateus in the 1940s.
The palace is 3.5km east of the town centre. Take local Corgobus bus 1 (€1, 20
minutes) towards the university (UTAD). It leaves from Largo de Camões, just north of
the turismo , roughly half-hourly between 7.30am and 8pm, with fewer buses on week-
ends. Ask for 'Mateus' and the driver will set you down about 250m from the palace (if
you don't ask, he may not stop).

CHURCH

Churches
Once part of a Dominican monastery, the Gothic sé OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Cathedral;
Travessa de São Domingos) has been given a lengthy facelift that has restored the 15th-century
grandeur of its rather spare interior.
Northeast of the cathedral is the magnificent baroque facade of the 17th-century Capela
Nova OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (cnr Ruas Central & Direita) . Inside are fine 18th-century azulejos
and large-headed cherubs with teddy-boy coifs.
More baroque, and more azulejos , are on view at the Igreja de São Pedro OFFLINE MAP
GOOGLE MAP (Largo de São Pedro) , one block north of Capela Nova.

Museu Etnográfico de Vila Real
OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP

MUSEUM

(Avenida 1º de Maio; 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6pm) This small but colourful museum docu-
ments the traditional culture of the surrounding highlands, with exhibits on linen -making,
ceramics, farming techniques, games, musical instruments and local festivals .

Miradouro de Trás-do-Cemitério
For a fine view across the gorge of the Rio Corgo and Rio Cabril, walk south to this pan-
oramic viewpoint, just beyond a small cemetery and chapel.

VIEWPOINT

Sleeping
Appealing budget and midrange options in downtown Vila Real are in short supply. The
best accommodation, including some charming semirural guesthouses, is on the city's out-
er fringes.