The ancient kingdom of ‘Portucale’ was born in 1143 in the north of modern Portugal, and northerners retain a fierce sense of pride to this day. The region is dominated by the Douro – the golden river – which winds its way down from the mountain heights of Trás-os-Montes to the cosmopolitan city of Porto. The valley is home to Portugal’s most famous export, Port wine (named after the city), and wine lodges along the river are open for tours and tasting.

Porto rises spectacularly out of a gorge near the mouth of Douro. On one side lies the world heritage quayside of higgledy-piggledy houses and winding streets; on the other, a string of bars and restaurants among the old port warehouses. Shopping is excellent and good value here, with leather goods a speciality. There’s a wealth of historical buildings to enjoy, but also some modern ones – notably the Fundação Serralves, a contemporary art gallery designed by Portugal’s leading architect, Siza Vieira.

The region has a rich variety of manor houses and quintas, or villas, where you can sleep like a prince and experience the charm of Portugal’s aristocratic traditions, and even discover the secrets of wine-making. Up in the north west corner in the providence of Minho, a beautiful area of lush green vegetation and river valleys. Two historic cities stand out – Guimarães (Portugal’s birthplace) and Braga, but the most part, Minho is a traditional and bucolic, characterized by ox-drawn carts and frequent local festivals. Even more remote is the mountain area of Trás-os-Montes, a great place for mountain trekking, and full of surprises like the flamboyant Casa de Mateus, the building celebrated of the labels of Mateus Rosé wine.

Highlights

The region’s best – known city is Porto, which gave the country its most famous wine. The historic center is in Guimarães, but the medieval atmosphere still reigns in the walled town of Barcelos, the towers of Ponte de Lima and the ancient shipyard of Vila do Conde. The region stretches from the granite-laden mountains of the northeastern tip of the country to more verdant fields down south along the Douro River.