Private tour to Alto Minho (Viana do Castelo, Ponte de Lima and Barcelos)

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Santuario de Santa Luzia, Estrada de Santa Luzia, Viana do Castelo 4900-408 Portugal

The Santuário de Santa Luzia is the majestic icon of Viana do Castelo that dominates the skyline of the city. This wonderous structure, inspired by Byzantine architecture with flurries of Gothic elements, is like no other religious building in Portugal, in part that it is less than 80 years old.

Not only being a magnificent monument the Santuario de Santa Luzia complex is also an outstanding tourist attraction. There’s a quaint funicular that climbs the steep hill, at the sumit are spectacular views, the interior of the church is beautiful decorated, and tourists can even traverse through the hidden interior to reach to top of the domed roof. This article will provide a tourist guide to the Santuário de Santa Luzia and includes an image tour of a typical visit.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Igreja Matriz de Viana do Castelo, Largo do Instituto Historico do Minho, Viana do Castelo 4900-522 Portugal

The Cathedral of St. Mary the Great (Portuguese: Sé Catedral de Santa Maria Maior) also called Viana do Castelo Cathedral is a Catholic church and fortress built in the fifteenth century, which preserves a Romanesque appearance and is located in the city of Viana do Castelo in Portugal.

Its facade is flanked by two large towers topped by battlements and highlights its beautiful Gothic portal with archivolts with sculpted scenes from the Passion of Christ and sculptures of the Apostles. It is a Romanesque church with a Latin cross and inside is separated by three arches supported on pillars ships. It is classified as Imóvel of Public Interesse.

Duration: 40 minutes

Stop At: Museu do Traje, Praca da Republica Centro Historico, Viana do Castelo 4900-520 Portugal

Located in the historic centre of the city, the former Bank of Portugal building has housed the Costume Museum since 2004. Here you can appreciate the ethnographic wealth of the traditional costumes of Viana.

The exhibits also include the tools used to produce the handmade garments, alongside the permanent exhibitions “A lã e o linho no traje do Alto Minho” (Wool and linen in Alto Minho garments), "Traje à Vianesa” (Viana’s traditional dress) and "Oficina do Ouro” (Gold Workshop).

The Costume Museum organises a great many temporary exhibitions on the theme of Viana’s traditional dress and ethnography.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Passeio 25 de Abril, Ponte de Lima 4990-150 Portugal

In Ponte de Lima, a town of stories and history, a walk through the town centre is a journey to the roots of our ancestry. Largo de Camões welcomes visitors with its Noble Fountain, completed in 1603. The nearby Bridge tempts us all to cross it. Cross the bridge and admire the beauty of the Church of Santo António da Torre Vellha (Old Tower), built in the nineteenth century and notable for the height of its tower and the gargoyles flanking it. Close by, the Chapel of Anjo da Guarda (Guardian Angel), a construction with Romanesque and Gothic roots, dated by many to the thirteenth century, will arouse curiosity for the simple and harmonious way it fits into the landscape.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Ponte Medieval de Barcelos, Barcelos 4750-295 Portugal

This stone Gothic bridge dates from the early 14th Century, between 1325 and 1330, and was built by Count Pedro, to create a link between Barcelos and Barcelinhos.

The structure consists of five arches, of which the central one is the highest, which is a structural feature of the period.

It has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Fonte Municipal de Barcelinhos, Rua de Brito Limpo, Barcelos 4755-056 Portugal

Barcelinhos is a Portuguese freguesia ("civil parish"), located in the municipality of Barcelos. The population in 2011 was 1,781, in an area of 2.76 km².

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Museu Arqueologico de Barcelos, Largo do Municipio, Barcelos 4750-323 Portugal

The Archaeological Museum (Museu Arqueológico de Barcelos) was built over the ruins of what was once the Palace of the Counts of Barcelos and Dukes of Bragança, next to a bridge which dates back to the fourteenth century.

This palace was destroyed during 1755 earthquake and its remains are now part of an open air archaeological museum.

Here you will find different elements, from authentic Roman columns to medieval coffins, but the most interesting piece is a stone cross from the fourteenth century, known as the Cruise O Senhor do Galo, which represents the man from the famous legend of the rooster.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Marche de Barcelos, Plase, Barcelos Portugal

The Pottery, for historical reasons, is reflected more in the northeastern part of the county of Barcelos, land rich in water and mud. The art around the clay modeled in social, cultural and economic terms throughout this territory that stretches to the current Vila Verde. On the other hand, binding of olárica and ceramic activity to the traditional and ancient weekly market, further emphasizes the historical and cultural significance of this art.

Duration: 30 minutes