Viana do Castelo stands at the mouth of the Lima River, where the Minho coast begins, and the Atlantic opens out, a city of Manueline masterpieces, a hilltop basilica, and a long tradition of boat-building and embroidery that makes it the cultural capital of northern Portugal.
What to see
- The Praca da Republica and its Renaissance fountain, surrounded by the Casa da Misericordia (1589), one of the finest Manueline civic buildings in Portugal, and the town hall, both in the same extraordinary late-Gothic and Manueline blend
- The BasĆlica de Santa Luzia, a neo-Byzantine church crowning the Monte de Santa Luzia above the city, reached by funicular; the hilltop views across the Lima estuary, the Minho coast, and into Spain are exceptional
- The local costume and embroidery museum, Viana's gold-embroidered regional dress is among the most elaborate in Portugal, and still worn at festival time
What to do
- Take the funicular to Santa Luzia for the view, allow 30 minutes at the top
- Walk the medieval center between the Praca da Republica and the Eiffel-designed iron bridge over the Lima
What to eat
- Papas de sarrabulho, a thick pork and blood rice dish unique to the Minho, and fresh Lima river lamprey in season