Oporto, Portugal - May 14, 2025

Today we spent a wonderful day touring the northern Portugal area around Oporto (also called Porto). This excursion was courtesy of Virtuoso Travel.  As this cruise has a Virtuoso Host on board, our travel agent Marla was able to sign us up for this special tour.

We started with a guided tour leaving from Porto. Our guide provided information about Portuguese history, culture, and wine as we traveled. He was quite personable, sharing details about his own life - he's from northern Portugal, married to someone from the Algarve region, has children, and is studying for a master's degree in management while working as a tour guide.

He talked about the Portuguese wine regions, particularly Vinho Verde (which the he insisted on calling "Fino Verde" to avoid confusion since it's not actually green in color).  He explained the significance of tiles and traditional building materials in Portuguese architecture including the use of granite stone in northern Portugal

The main destination of our excursion was Guimarães, often referred to as "the cradle of Portugal" because of its significance in Portuguese history.  It is considered the birthplace of Portuguese national identity. Our guide explained that Portugal was founded in the 9th century (specifically in 868) when a warrior from Galicia was sent by the King of Leon to conquer territory from the Moors. This led to the establishment of the County of Portucale, which would eventually become Portugal.  

Our first stop was the Castle of Guimarães an important historical site in the founding of Portugal.  It was built in the 10th century by a noblewoman named Mumadona Dias and was further strengthened in the 11th century by the Knights Templar and Crusaders.

It was the site of the pivotal Battle of São Mamede on June 24, 1128 - the first battle for Portuguese independence and the mainly castle served as a military stronghold rather than a royal residence.

Our guide explained that it's a relatively small castle because it was originally built as a subcounty castle of Galicia.

The battle that founded Portugal involved only about 600 warriors - 400 from Galicia and 200 from Portugal.

Floor of the church with graves.

Next we visited The Church of Saint Michael. This 13th-century church contains elements that predate the structure itself.  It has graves dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, suggesting an earlier chapel existed on the site. The church features the Star of Solomon symbol associated with the Knights Templar and contains what is claimed to be the baptismal font used for the first King of Portugal. Some graves display Templar symbols, including a particular one that has generated theories about being the official grave of Portugal's first king.

Palace of the Dukes of Braganza

Our next visit was to the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza.  Parts of the palace date back to the 15th century.  

We visited the "lost steps room" with special acoustics designed for private conversations.  It was referred to as the "lost steps room" as visitors would often pace for many hours an audience with one of the nobles. 

We viewed a collection of weapons from the 15th-16th centuries, including a private collection donated by an advisor to the last King of Portugal (who was murdered in Lisbon in 1908, ending the monarchy). We walked through the  "intimate" dining room with a hole in the wall used to dispose of leftover food. 

We learned about Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess who married Charles II of England and is credited with introducing the tradition of afternoon tea to England, as well as bringing the fork to English dining tables. Her bedroom in the palace was lovely.  

The highlight of the trip was lunch at an old manor house belonging to a historically significant Portuguese family (the Ribadouro family). The property has been in the same family for 16 generations (now on the 17th).  The estate features buildings from different periods: the tower remnants from the 15th century, the main house from the 16th century, and the chapel from the 18th century.  The front of the house dates from the 17th century and features a distinctive window from the time of King Manuel of Portugal, decorated with symbols of Portuguese maritime explorations.

The chapel (built in 1717) features baroque woodwork and is dedicated to Saint Anthony of Lisbon.  We saw Celtic columns on the property that were authenticated by specialists from England.  The property contains historical artifacts including stones with carved faces that might date from the Suevo people or from King Manuel's time.

We learned about Portuguese inheritance traditions.  Historically, the eldest son would inherit everything while younger siblings had to join the military, church, or make advantageous marriages.  This system maintained family estates intact for generations until the end of the monarchy, when new laws required dividing inheritance among all children.  The Ribadouro estate was once much larger but was divided into 11 parts two generations ago and distributed to family members, with the current owners retaining the main house and about 20 hectares (49 acres).  They now operate the property as a bed and breakfast. 

The current owners have planted over 15,000 trees on the property, restored the manor house, including a chapel with gold carvings and maintained traditional grape growing methods

For lunch, we enjoyed typical Portuguese cuisine along with locally produced wines from the estate including the Vinho Verde.

A port tasting was supposed to be part of our adventure, but after our leisurely visit to the manor house, we had to hurry back to the ship as it was leaving for our next port.