History of the Douro – from Portugal to Spain

Mateus Palace Gardens

Your first delicious breakfast is served as you linger over another coffee. There's time to explore the ship as we begin our journey upstream. We recommend heading up on deck to appreciate the changing landscape in the soft morning light as the river weaves its way between the lush hillsides. If you were in any doubt, the views today will cement the Douro as one of Europe's most beautiful river valleys. 

After lunch, we'll visit the landscaped gardens of Mateus Palace. Wine aficionados will recognise the palace from the label of Mateus Rosé, whose logo depicts the impressive facade. The owner of Mateus Palace was offered a few pennies commission for every bottle sold. However, he turned it down in favour of a one-off lump sum. This was a major mistake as the brand became one of the most successful wines, exported to over 100 countries and it continues to be Portugal's number one-selling wine. Despite this financial misstep, the well-preserved Mateus Palace is still one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Portugal. Here, there'll be time to explore the gardens - surrounding the palace, decorated with boxwood hedges, statues and a fragrant cypress tunnel – where you can view the magnificent structure from all angles. 

This evening we'll drive to the 126-acre Quinta da Pacheca for dinner. It dates back to the 18th century and is simply one of the most beautiful and distinguished properties in the region. It is also notable as being the first quinta to bottle wine under the name of its owner - the formidable aristocrat, Mariana Pacheco Pereira. You’ll have plenty of time to wander through part of the estate and enjoy splendid views of the Douro before dinner including a selection of the quinta’s wines.  

 We are moored in Régua overnight.

+ Included Experiences – Visit to Mateus Palace gardens & dinner at a typical quinta.

Almeida Fortress & Military Museum

You can relax over a leisurely breakfast as the scenery idly slips by through the restaurant’s superb panoramic windows. It might be hard to imagine but the Douro was once a wild river, notoriously challenging to navigate, especially for the traditional flat-bottomed boats which sunk in its torrents. Thankfully, today it has been tamed by a system of dams and locks, which have raised the water level to produce a topography reminiscent of Scotland’s lochs, enhancing the valley’s charm.  

Onshore, we'll visit Almeida Fortress, a fortified town that came under siege in the Peninsular War. Once thought to be impenetrable, it held firm against the French for 12 days before the fortress's own magazine erupted in a massive explosion that stunned its defenders and left it open to attack. The force of the explosion was so powerful, that some of its granite blocks were said to have been found as far as three miles away. The defensive system - casemates, sentry boxes, hidden passages, and embrasures for cannons - is still present in some areas of the fortress. The structure is a complex system of bulwarks, ravelins, platforms, trenches, and a moat with only two entrances protected by bomb-proof gates. While from the ground these may look like normal fortress walls the view from above reveals a complex geometric shape - a 12-point star. Its design eliminated all dead zones by exposing the enemy to fire from all sides, which significantly increased the defender's firing efficiency.  

We'll visit the fascinating Museu Histórico Militar de Almeida. Displays of weaponry, uniforms and military paraphernalia from each period are housed in a series of underground rooms, originally used for storage and shelter during times of siege. It's an atmospheric setting in which to learn more about the town's military history.  

After dinner back on board we will see a celebratory vintage port wine opened in the traditional way.  

+ Included experiences - Visit to Almeida Fortress & Military Museum 

Salamanca & Battlefields

We'll visit historic Salamanca, one of several UNESCO World Heritage Sites on this journey, regarded by many Spaniards as their nation’s most beautiful city. Founded by the Romans, who erected its 389-yard-long bridge, Salamanca is mostly built from local sandstone that emanates a gorgeous rose-coloured glow in the sunlight. Perched on a hill on a bend in the serene River Tormes, the city is a picture of tranquillity, but its history is turbulent, having been successively fought over by Hannibal, the Moors, then the Duke of Wellington and Napoleon. 

Founded in 1218, Salamanca's university is the oldest in Spain and was one of the civilised world’s most important seats of study for over 400 years. The Spanish Inquisition’s records are still kept here, and as early as the 16th century it boasted some 12,000 students. Seeing its immaculately preserved lecture halls with their vaulted ceilings, it’s easy to conjure an image of Christopher Columbus addressing the learned men of the day or legal experts constructing the international laws that originate here.  

In Salamanca, you’ll have some time to explore as you wish. You may choose to linger, admiring the ornate interiors of its cathedrals – the more recent structure dates from the 16th century – or explore its tiny streets, medieval squares, traditional shops, gardens and marketplaces. Or, if you're looking for a taste of Salamanca's history, you could head to the former Colegio de San Ambrosio to the archives of the Spanish Civil War or the Palacio Episcopal - the former headquarters of General Franco during the Spanish Civil War (whose connections to Hitler led to the removal of his medallion from the Plaza Mayor). Our guides will be on hand to show you the highlights.  

Over lunch, we'll enjoy a traditional flamenco show. Then we'll venture outside the city to visit the Battlefields of Salamanca. With a guide bringing the history of the battle to life, you'll explore the sights and learn more about the military strategy that defined Wellington's reputation as a defensive general and shattered French dominance on the Iberian Peninsula. 

This evening, after dinner, head up onto the sun deck to listen to the unmistakable sound of crickets and breathe in the scents from the surrounding valley slopes that pervade the warm evening air.

+ Included experiences – Guided tour to Salamanca and its battlefields, with lunch and a flamenco show.

Peso da Régua

One of the benefits of life aboard a river cruise is the sheer sense of relaxation it brings. We’ll continue our journey during breakfast, after which there is plenty of time for a spot of pampering in the on-board spa. Or you could simply relax and watch the seamless changing of the riverbank scenery passing by from the comfort of a cosy seat in the lounge – the choice is yours this morning. But don’t miss our riveting lecture with our on-board expert this morning. Together we’ll delve into Portuguese history from the Douro Valley and beyond.

We arrive later in the pretty little town of Peso da Régua. We'll enjoy a visit to a local historic quinta to learn all about the stages of wine production, from the planting of the vines, harvesting, the wine-making process and finally tasting and labelling. No visit would be complete without sampling some of their excellent produce of course, so we enjoy a tasting before returning to the ship.

+ Included experience – Visit to a quinta with a wine-tasting. 

Lamego

After breakfast, we'll take a short drive to historic Lamego, home of Portugal’s sparkling wine, Raposeira, and one of the first places to be reclaimed from the Moors in the 12th century.  It's known for its church, the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, which is situated at the top of a beautifully tiled baroque staircase. If you’re up for a challenge, it’s worth climbing the 686 steps to the top of the staircase for stunning views of the city - don't worry, you can stop to admire the fountains, mosaics and hedges along the way. By the time we return to our ship, our chef and his team will be adding the finishing touches to another delicious lunch, ready to be served as we depart for Cais da Lixa.  

After lunch, you can join an expert for a talk on board on the region’s history that brings untold stories to life. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon cruising down the Douro before this evening’s Captain’s Dinner, a truly memorable experience featuring exquisite regional specialities, followed by a colourful performance of traditional Portuguese folk music. 

+ Included experiences – Visit to Lamego, on-board talk about the region’s history & a traditional Portuguese folk music show.

Porto

As we continue the last leg of our journey, delve into the detail of the ‘Crossing of the Douro’ this morning with another fascinating lecture – this will help you truly appreciate the historic sites of Porto that we’ll visit later today.  

There’s also time to take advantage of the ship's five-star facilities this morning as we cruise towards our final destination. You could work up a sweat in the fitness room, head up to the sun deck to enjoy a coffee whilst chatting with newly made friends or relax and enjoy the scenery as we return to Porto once more, passing under the city’s spectacular bridges.  

On our tour of the second largest city in Portugal, we'll pass some of the key historic sites, including the circular dome of the Monastery de Serra do Pilar – which can be seen from the Douro. While it was built as a monastery, it has been utilised for military use, including during the Siege of Oporto, where it was transformed into an improvised fort and, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was used as military barracks.  

We'll also see the site where Soult blew up the Bridge of Bridges - a bridge made up of 20 boats anchored side by side that provided a crossing over the Douro - having destroyed (almost) every other boat on the south bank. We’ll visit the site of the legendary Crossing of the Douro where a brigade of Anglo-Portuguese forces were ferried across to the Seminary in broad daylight, undetected by the French forces for at least an hour. And see the locations of the fierce fighting at the Seminary. 

You’ll have the rest of the afternoon to explore this truly fascinating city; so perhaps return to the terraced streets of the old town and wander the sloping maze of cobbled alleyways, soaking up the atmosphere whilst stopping to admire the architecture, bell towers, baroque churches, golden rooftops and beautiful tiles of this slice of traditional Portugal. Or you could stop for a drink in a cosy café and be tempted by an array of delicious cakes and pastries. (Top tip: treat yourself to a pastel de nata - the traditional Portuguese custard tart - they're delicious.) 

This evening, enjoy a final dinner on board expertly served by our restaurant staff under the supervision of the maître d’. Afterwards, perhaps settle into the lounge to chat into the evening and reflect on the splendours of the remarkable river Douro – over a glass of port, of course.

+ Included experience – Guided tour of Porto.

Return home

After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport at the appropriate time, with memories of one of the most unspoilt corners of Europe to savour for a long time to come.