Quinta da Pacheca
Traditional winery between Régua and Lamego, with tours, tastings, restaurant, and hotel. Known for its unique overnight barrels among the vines. Easily reached and often busy; advance booking recommended.
Portugal
Douro Valley
Region
The Douro Valley east of Porto is the home of Port wine. Steep vineyard terraces climb both banks of the river, interspersed with wineries, the Quintas, and small towns like Peso da Régua and Pinhão.
by Felix Gillen
The Douro Valley east of Porto is the home of Port wine. Steep vineyard terraces climb both banks of the river, interspersed with wineries, the Quintas, and small towns like Peso da Régua and Pinhão. The Alto Douro wine region was legally demarcated in 1756 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001.
The valley stretches for about a hundred kilometers to the Spanish border. Most visitors focus on the section between Peso da Régua and Pinhão, where train, road, and boat tours are close by. Further upstream it gets more secluded, with Stone Age rock art sites in the Côa Valley. Many Quintas offer guided tours with tastings, which you should usually book in advance. September and October are grape harvest season; it's bustling and accommodations are in demand. In high summer, it gets very hot in the valley.
Sights in Douro Valley
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Restaurants & Cafés
Direkt am Flussufer bei Folgosa gelegen, ist das DOC Restaurant von Chef Rui Paula ein kulinarisches Highlight des Douro-Tals. Hier genießt Du raffinierte Interpretationen der portugiesischen Küche mit regionalen Produkten, begleitet von einer beeindruckenden Weinkarte. Die moderne Atmosphäre und der atemberaubende Blick auf den Douro machen jeden Besuch zu einem unvergesslichen Erlebnis.
Wenn Du ein authentisches und unkompliziertes kulinarisches Erlebnis suchst, ist Toca da Raposa in Ervedosa do Douro die richtige Adresse. Dieses gemütliche Restaurant ist bekannt für seine hausgemachte, traditionelle portugiesische Küche mit lokalen Zutaten. Die herzliche Gastfreundschaft und die rustikale Atmosphäre vermitteln Dir ein Gefühl von Echtheit und Gemütlichkeit, perfekt, um die wahre Douro-Küche zu entdecken.
Das Restaurant Cozinha da Clara auf der renommierten Quinta de la Rosa in Pinhão bietet eine exquisite regionale Küche mit einem modernen Touch. Mit frischen Produkten aus dem eigenen Garten und den umliegenden Regionen kreiert das Küchenteam Gerichte, die perfekt zu den Weinen der Quinta passen. Die Terrasse bietet zudem einen fantastischen Blick auf den Douro und die Weinberge, was das Essen zu einem ganz besonderen Erlebnis macht.
Food and Drink in the Douro Valley
Port wine
Fortified and sweet, as Ruby, Tawny, White or Vintage. Taste it directly at the Quintas.
Douro Red Wine
Dry red wines from grape varieties like Touriga Nacional, which have gained significant prestige in recent decades.
Cabrito assado
Oven-roasted kid, a typical festive dish of the region.
Culture and History
Wine has been grown in the Douro since Roman times. Exports to England surged in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1756, Marquês de Pombal demarcated the region and regulated trade, making it one of the world's oldest legally regulated wine regions. For centuries, flat Rabelo boats carried barrels downstream to Vila Nova de Gaia, until rail and road transport took over.The terraces were hand-carved into the slate for generations. During the autumn harvest, grapes on some estates are still traditionally trodden by foot in stone tanks (Lagares).
Exploring the Douro Valley
The Linha do Douro railway line runs from Porto São Bento along the river via Régua and Pinhão to Pocinho. From Régua, it's best to sit on the right side in the direction of travel to see the river. By car, you are more flexible, especially for viewpoints and Quintas away from the river. The N222 road between Régua and Pinhão is considered a particularly scenic route. Boat trips start in Régua, Pinhão, and as a day trip also in Porto.
