Lamego in the Douro Valley

When researching for a place to stay in the Douro Valley, I kept reading about a small town that people seemed to like, just outside of the touristy areas, called Lamego. It is only 130 km east of Porto, but a completely different place.

As we have been travelling a fair bit during the past month, we decided to stay in Lamego for a little longer to fine tune, somewhat, our plans for the month of February and enjoy this northeastern area of Portugal. We rented a spacious apartment for 12 days in the historical area of the city, through Air BnB, and are enjoying its close proximity to the town.

This region is mostly known for its wine and the terraced vineyards which follow the contours of the Rio Douro. However, it is also known for its fruit crops and the quality of its olive oil.

A city of 26,000 people, Lamego has a history that dates back to the Romans. Lamego’s biggest claim to fame regards the very founding of the kingdom of Portugal itself. It is said that it was in Lamego in 1139 that Alfonso I was crowned the first King of Portugal

When we arrived, the weather was horrible - rain, snow and heavy dark clouds. Storm Gabriel was making its way through Europe at the same time as Ontario was being pummelled with snow and cold weather. The difference here is that people don’t have central heating, just small space heaters. We put on our layers, turned on the oven, and finally just went out and bought another cheap space heater which did the trick. Once the apartment warmed up and the sun came out, it was great. Part of the adventure.

As mentioned, we are very close to the city centre. Through the heart of the city runs a long park. Around the park there are cafes, restaurants and everyday shops, and in the park are plenty of locals chatting and smoking on the numerous park benches. A fast-paced lifestyle, it is not. At the end of the park there is an incredible staircase that puts Lamego on the map. The church, or Sanctuary, at the top of the staircase is a beautiful sight on its own, especially at night with the lights on it. Once we saw the stairs, we knew that climbing them would be part of our itinerary while we are here. In fact, Chris may go up and down it every day, if I know Chris!

The other major landmark of Lamego is its small hilltop castle. Lamego Castle has a documented history back to the 10th Century, but all that is left of it now is a watchtower and walled keep. Our apartment is only a block away from it so we will be visiting it soon. We live in the old Bairro de Castelo or Castle District of narrow stone streets. The area is bordered by a ring of walls and several stone gateways. It is interesting to wander through the few narrow streets in this area.

Our apartment building is old but the interior is modern and has all the conveniences. The owner said that at one time it was a a residence and then a bank and then another large residence before being renovated into 6 apartments on the upper levels and a tutoring school on the main floor. Hard to imagine how many people are in this building but it extremely quiet here. Outside we have a large, sunny shared patio with a tree laden with oranges.

Anyways, our choice of place to ‘chill’ is perfect. The city is lovely and safe and the opportunity for having lots of interesting experiences is perfect.Read more