Page 455 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

com; s €134-152, d €152-173;
Ws) is simply stunning.
TRIP HIGHLIGHT TRIP HIGHLIGHT
Besides plush lodgings
4 Quinta do Crasto in a beautifully restored 7 Pinhão
Perched like an eyrie on 19th-century manor, it Encircled by terraced
a promontory above the offers romantic grounds, hillsides that yield
Río Douro and a spec- a pool gazing out across some of the world’s best
tacular ripple of terraced vines rolling into the dis- port – and some damn
vineyards, Quinta do tance, a restaurant, wine good table wines too –
Crasto (%934 920 024, 254 tours, tastings and some little Pinhão sits on a
920 020; www.quintadocrasto. of the region’s top walk- particularly lovely bend
pt; Sabrosa, Gouvinhas; tours ing trails – the longest of of the Río Douro. Winer-
€18; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri) which is 2½ hours. ies and their competing
quite literally takes your The Drive » It’s a 10km drive signs dominate the scene
breath away. The winery east from Quinta Nova to Casa and even the delight-
is beautifully set amid do Visconde de Chanceleiros ful train station has
the lyrical landscapes of on the CM1268, tracing the azulejos (tiles) depict-
the Alto Douro, a Unesco contours of the emerald-green ing the grape harvest. PORTUGAL 32 DOuRO VALLEY VINEYARD TRAILS
World Heritage site. Stop vines unfurling around you The town, though cute,
by for a tour and tasting holds little of interest,
or lunch. It produces but makes a fine base for
some of the country’s 6 Casa do Visconde exploring the surround-
best drops – reds that de Chanceleiros ing vineyards. From
are complex, spicy and Fancy staying the night here, you can also cruise
smooth, with wild berry up in the hills of the sub- upriver into the heart of
aromas, and whites that lime Alto Douro? Casa the Alto Douro aboard a
are fresh, with a mineral do Visconde de Chance- traditional flat-bottomed
nose and tang of citrus leiros (%254 730 190; www. port boat with Douro-a-
and apples. Designed by chanceleiros.com; s €130-140, Vela (%918 793 792; www.
Portuguese architect Ed- d €135-170; pWs) is douro-a-vela.pt; 1hr cruise
uardo Souto Moura, the a gorgeous 250-year- €25). Catch the boat from
plunge pool here appears old manor house, with the Folgosa do Douro
to nosedive directly into spacious standard and pier. Or rewind to the
the valley below. superior rooms featuring early days of viniculture
The Drive » From Quinta do classic decor and patios. on a guided tour followed
Crasto it’s an easy 4km drive The expansive views of by a tasting at Quinta
east along the mellow banks of the valley and lush ter- Nova Wine Museum &
the Río Douro to Quinta Nova via raced gardens steal the Shop (Aris Douro; %254 730
the N322-2 and CM1268. show, but so does the out- 030; www.quintanova.com;
door pool, tennis court, Largo da Estacão 14; tours &
Jacuzzi, and sauna in a tastings €5; htours 11am,
5 Quinta Nova wine barrel. Delicious 3pm & 5pm Mon-Sat, 11am &
Set on a ridge, surround- dinners (€38) are served 3pm Sun Apr-Oct).
ed by 120 hectares of on request. 54 p457
ancient vineyards, over- The Drive » A gentle 7.5km
looking the Douro river drive east along the M590, with The Drive » Veer slightly
with mountains layered spirit-lifting views across the west of Pinhão on the N323
in the distance, Quinta terraced vineyards, the deep- and turn right onto the M585,
following the sign for Casal de
Nova (%254 730 420, 254 green Douro and family-run Loivos, 4.5km away. The country
730 430; www.quintanova. quintas, brings you to Pinhão. road that weaves up through

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