The Douro Valley - Portugal

Famous for its its port and unfortified red wines the Douro Valley is one of the world's prettiest wine regions, with its undulating river, immaculately sculptured terraces and unruly hills that roll out as far as the eye can see. From its source in Spain, the river wanders 200 kilometres across the north of Portugal to its final destination, its estuary in Porto. The river makes its way through deep ravines, past hillsides made of granite and farmhouses painted white with red tiled roofs. Famous port names dominate the landscape, in white letters amongst the trailing vines. Farms and vineyards tumble down precipitous slopes along the central river, while more vines and ...  Read the complete review

If there's a better place in Europe to wait for a train than Pinhao, I'm yet to discover it. This is not a comment on the town, which is a bit on the scruffy side, but you don't much notice the town from the railway station. Your eyes are drawn to the neatly-kept flowerbeds set into the platform and the murals formed of blue-and-white azulejo tiles that decorate the ticket office, depicting every stage in the growing and transporting of grapes for port wine. Looking around, you see some of the scenes replicated in reality, with vineyards climbing the slopes on either bank of the Douro, while the river winds away among them on its journey to the sea, a journey taken ...  Read the complete review