This bakery has been open for over a century and is the place to come to indulge in some Portuguese sweet treats. Visit top-rated & must-see attractions. I do not know about you, but the most inviting season seems to be summer. The country hotel also boasts a swimming pool, tennis courts, restaurant and free WiFi throughout so you have everything you need on-site for an unforgettable stay.If you’ve ever thought about visiting Amarante or the winelands of Northern Portugal, this is your sign to go now! There are also works by another Amarante native, the Expressionist António Carneiro, but this is just the merest introduction, as there constant short-term shows by active artists and permanent galleries loaded with Portuguese modern art.There’s also a small gallery dedicated to the region’s archaeology.On the left bank of the Tâmega, a short way downriver from the centre is a serene park landscaped in 1916. Travellers can stop and admire the view on their way across the bridge thanks to the two rounded platforms that were added to the bridge’s design at the end of the 18th Century.The Church of Saint Gonçalo is another of Amarante’s most impressive sites, with an intricate facade, a 16th-century Renaissance doorway and the tomb of Gonçalo de Amarante himself located within. This elegant restaurant serves up some of the best food and wine in Northern Portugal (which is saying something when Porto is on the doorstep! You can get red and rosé varieties too but the slightly sparkling white wines are the best ones to try to get a taste of the region’s crops and techniques. Feel free to email me with any questions at We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Amarante is a picture-perfect town in Northern Portugal with medieval, Renaissance and Romanesque influences that make it an absolutely breath-taking place to explore. Amarante is a dreamy town in upland countryside in the Amarante is a town that has given Portugal many important artists and writers, notably in the early 20th century, and their work is presented at the superb municipal museum. This five-hectare space was planted with hundreds of exotic trees like ginkgos.It was part a scheme that continued on the mountain ranges surrounding the town, the Serras do Marão and Meia Via where thousands of trees were planted in the 1920s.In the park are playgrounds, a man-made cascade, aviaries and a large pen with deer.But at its best it’s a slice of wilderness near the centre of town, with tracks through the woodland beside moss-covered rocks.Step down the river where there’s a stone path taking you out to a small rocky island.Inaugurated in 2013, this paved cycle path links Amarante with the town of Arco de Baúlhe, 35 kilometres upriver.It is the exact course of the old Linha do Tâmega railway line, which closed down in 1990 and weaves through a hilly green landscape of vineyards and forest.Many of the stations are still standing and have been turned into cafes and rest stops.The station at the starting point, Celorico de Basto, has been restored is now a hostel, bike rental centre and small museum, while there’s also a museum at Arco de Baúlhe’s renovated station.The options for sightseeing on the route are almost endless as you coast past picturesque old towns, quintas, wineries and castles.The first weekend of June is time for Amarante’s main annual festival, devoted to São Gonçalo, whose tomb we’ve seen in the church.Now, many festivals in Portugal have rituals that are much older than Christianity, and São Gonçalo is a celebration with clear pagan overtones.There’s a fertility theme woven into the festivities: For instance, people out to find a partner will go and touch São Gonçalo’s tomb in the church.But maybe the most peculiar custom is exchanging “bolos de São Gonçalo”, a sweet pastry and fertility symbol, unmistakably shaped like a man’s private parts.As the information board on the lawn outside makes clear, this manor house has been in ruins since the 2nd French Invasion in 1809 when it was burned down by Napoleon’s retreating army.With a beautiful set of arcades, the 16th-century house is in the Renaissance style and belonged to the Magellan family: The same that gave us Ferdinand Magellan, the 16th-century navigator and first man to circumnavigate the earth.After the fire it was kept as a memorial to the conflict and in summer concerts and get-togethers take place on the lawn.A few strides up the hill from the Church of São Gonçalo is a newer church built by the Dominican Order in 1725.
You’ll therefore have loads of things to see and do in Amarante during your trip to Northern Portugal.Ponte de São Gonçalo is one of Amarante’s most striking features both due to its central position within the town as well as its large, arched architectural style. Visit for the sensational scenery, trekking through coniferous woodland until you get to the upper reaches, which have exposed schist bluffs where golden eagles and peregrine falcons make their nests.For accommodation, the Pousada of São Gonçalo is a blessed with a view of the mountain and Tâmega valley that you’ll never forget.A waterpark is one of those unavoidable attractions if you’re visiting with smaller family members.And as there are no large bodies of water in the area, this will be your best bet when the mercury rises in July and August.The park gets busy, so arrive early if you can to save a sunbed or space on the lawns.For slides there are two multilane racers, one faster than the other, as well two flumes, one of which, “Fast Mountain” has only recently opened.The park also has two large pools on the site and constant views of the Tâmega and its wooded valley.One of the stops on the Romanesque Route, Travanca’s monastery among the standout monuments in the Amarente area.But you should also come for the phenomenal natural scenery.Travanca is on a natural balcony with clear views of the Cabreira, Marão and Gerês mountain ranges.If you’d like somewhere romantic to spend the night, the Casa da Levada is unbeatable, a Gothic manor in the clouds.This imposing house was once the home of the family of Teixeira de Pascoais, a treasured poet and Nobel prize nominee.The Tâmega River is the thread running through many of the activities you can get up to around Amarante.On the water there’s a regular guided cruise in summer, and you can get in touch with the tourist office for details.You can also rent a canoe or even just a pedalo for an hour or so.The banks are lovely, edged with alder and willow trees for cool walks in summer.And lastly the local golf course, Golfe de Amarante is on high ground on the right bank with panoramas over the valley that may distract you from your swing!Some of the most charming countryside around Amarante is draped in vineyards for Northern Portugal’s distinctive VInho Verde vine.In this region (Terras de Basto), the vines are kept off the ground to allow room below to cultivate other crops.Vinho Verde has a few things to distinguish it: First it’s picked and bottled early, and is best consumed soon after.Whites are sharp and fresh, while reds are usually light and fruity.Another of the wine’s quirks is a slight fizz, which used to be a natural part of the process, but is now done with carbonation.If there’s one dish associated with Amarante it’s roasted kid goat.In this town there’s a particular way of making it, as the meat marinates in wine, garlic, bay and parsley for a whole day before it goes in the oven.On any trip to Portugal, salted cod (bacalhau) will be on the menu.In Amarante it is baked in the oven and comes with a mustard mayonnaise, mashed potatoes and fresh garden vegetables.Lastly, as a town of many convents, Amarante has a rollcall of typical sweets first made by religious sisterhoods hundreds of years ago.Foguetes (rockets) for one are little cylinders with a soft filling made from egg yolks, almonds and sugar. My name is Chrissy, I am a Tourism Management Graduate with a passion for traveling.
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