Viana do Castelo and Santa Luzia

Minho Port Town Of Renaissance Squares And Gold Filigree, Below The Santa Luzia Basilica And Its Sweeping View Of The Lima Estuary · Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo

Viana do Castelo is a handsome Minho port town at the mouth of the river Lima, about 70 km north of Porto, with the Santa Luzia basilica on the wooded hill above it. The town grew rich in the sixteenth century on cod fishing and trade with northern Europe and Brazil, and that money built the Praca da Republica with its Renaissance fountain, the old town hall and the Misericordia with its carved loggia. People come for the view from Santa Luzia - a domed early twentieth-century basilica designed by Ventura Terra, reached by a long funicular or a stairway, and often said to face one of the finest views in the world - and for the gold filigree hearts, the red and black regional costumes, the Gil Eannes hospital ship in the harbour and the wide Atlantic beaches loved by kitesurfers. In August the Romaria d'Agonia fills the town with processions and gold. Honest caveat: it is a tier 3 stop, best for people touring the Minho or driving the coast to Galicia; the old centre is small, the weather is the wettest in mainland Portugal, and outside the festival a day is plenty for most.

Viana do Castelo old town around the Praca da Republica at the mouth of the Lima, with the Santa Luzia basilica on the hill above, Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal

The old town, the Praca da Republica and the riverfront are open at all hours and free. The Santa Luzia basilica usually opens daily from morning to early evening, with a small fee to climb the dome (confirm hours and whether the lift is working). The funicular runs daily, more often in summer (confirm it is running). The Gil Eannes ship and the town museums open most days and several close on Mondays - confirm each. CP trains on the Minho line reach Viana from Porto Campanha in roughly 1.5 hours; the motorway takes about 1 hour. Book rooms months ahead for the Romaria d'Agonia in August.

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