DOURO VALLEY - Portugal - page 382

Sights in Peso da Régua
Peso da Régua's sights are few, and most worthwhile for people without cars (who can't
get into the countryside, where time is better spent). Downtown, you'll find Casa do
Douro, the grand headquarters of the local port-wine industry (with pretty stained-glass
windows inside).
▲ Douro Museum (Museu do Douro) —This fine little museum—just a block uphill
from Casa do Douro—traces the industry and culture of the Douro Valley, with a 3-D re-
lief map of the region, stuffed specimens of local wildlife, models showing the construc-
tion of rabelo boats, and traditional costumes and musical instruments. You'll also see
items relating to port production: tools, casks, barrels, decanters, port-wine bottles and la-
bels, and advertising posters.
Cost and Hours: €5, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, tel. [phone],
www.museudodouro.pt . The museum shares the old warehouse with the Solar do Vinho
do Porto (at Rua Marquês de Pombal in downtown Régua, described next).
▲ Solar do Vinho do Porto —This facility, run by the Port and Douro Wines Institute,
offers tastings and information about the region's products. Atmospherically situated in a
renovated old warehouse with comfy chairs, it's a handy place to sample a variety of ports
(Tue-Sat 11:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed Sun-Mon, right downtown at Rua da Ferreir-
inha, Armazém 43, tel. [phone], www.ivdp.pt ) . You'll pay €1-20 per glass; the menu
has meats, cheeses, and other delicious, traditional port-tasting snacks.
Quinta de São Domingos —This quinta, on a hill just above Peso da Régua, produces
port for the big company Castelinho. This is the region's giant, impersonal quinta —a
standard stop for large tour groups. The corporate experience reminds me of some of
the port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia near Porto—not what you came all the way
to the rustic Douro Valley for. The only thing good about it is its convenience for those
without a car (free 10-minute tour with short movie and two tastes, Fri-Wed 9:00-13:00 &
14:00-18:00, closed Thu, restaurant, tel. [phone], www.quintadesaodomingos.com ) .
It's just above Régua at the train-station end of town (near the bridges); by foot, walk east
(upriver) along the tracks, then cross the tracks through the hard-to-find gate (by the small
pink building), and continue uphill to the quinta (about 15 minutes total).
Sleeping and Eating in Peso da Régua
You have two basic options for sleeping in the Douro Valley: Stay in a boring hotel or
residencial in one of the towns (most likely Peso da Régua or Pinhão), or sleep at a pic-
turesque quinta or pousada in the countryside. The in-town hotels are handy for those
using public transportation, but if you've got a car, the quintas offer a better value and a