From the Portuguese city of Porto to the border with Spain, there are more than 200 kilometers of picturesque and fabulous landscapes of the Douro Valley. Even though the official name of the river is "Douro", the locals prefer to call it "Duero", and tourists also find this name more romantic. Through green hills and flowering meadows, the affluent Douro River flows into the Atlantic Ocean to forever merge with its waters. But first, the clear river washes the fertile shores and feeds the best vineyards of two European countries at once. It is here, in one of the oldest wine-growing regions of the world, that the legendary Portuguese port has been produced since the 17th century. This port has made Portugal famous all over the world as much as the Age of Exploration. Calm river waters and verdured stepped terraces, medieval villages and ancient temples, the taste of ripe fruit and aromatic local wines fill the lands of the Douro Valley, making locals proud and attracting travelers from all over the world.

You can enjoy the gifts of nature perfected by men while sitting in a tavern or the village square near the old stone fountain. But the best way is to admire the scenery from a bird's eye view, from one of the most popular observation decks located at the top of Casal de Loivos hill. It offers fantastic views of most of the valley, including the famous river bend in front of Pinhao village. Not to mention the colorful terraced vineyards rising the hillsides.

The panoramic views from the deck were honored by the BBC as some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Locals grow several dozen varieties of grapes on an area of ​​about 40,000 hectares and do not use modern equipment in wine production. They manually harvest grapes and squeeze the juice in an old-fashioned way. Most importantly, they allow tourists to participate in the wine production process. Could there be a better reason to go to the Douro Valley in Portugal?