The water that built a palace
Vidago's naturally carbonated mineral springs were prized long before the palace was built; by the late nineteenth century they were bottled and sold across Portugal, and the town became a fashionable place to "take the waters". King Carlos I backed plans for a grand hotel, and Vidago Palace opened in 1910 in a vast park of lakes, pavilions and mature trees that still shapes the town today.
Places worth knowing
- Vidago Park — the historic parkland with its spring pavilions, walking paths and golf course.
- Chaves — a historic city around 17 km north, with Trajan's Roman bridge, a medieval keep and its own thermal baths.
- Pedras Salgadas — a neighbouring spa park with another historic mineral spring.
- Boticas & the Barroso — highland villages famed for traditional farming and "wine of the dead" buried in cellars.
"Trás-os-Montes is Portugal at its most unhurried — chestnut woods, stone villages and long, generous lunches."Editor's impression
When to go
Spring brings green hills and blossom; September and October are ideal for the Douro grape harvest and the autumn chestnut season. Summers are warm and dry inland, while winters are cold enough for the thermal spa to feel especially welcome.
Getting around
Porto's Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport is roughly 1 hour 40 minutes by car via the A24 and A7 motorways. Public transport in the region is limited, so a hire car is the most practical way to explore the villages, spa parks and wine country.
What to see
- Wine estates and river viewpoints around Peso da Régua and Pinhão in the Douro Valley.
- The granite peaks, waterfalls and villages of Peneda-Gerês National Park.
- Trajan's Bridge and the Roman-era thermal complex in Chaves.
- Smoked meats (fumeiro), pastéis de Chaves and hearty highland cooking.
