Only a few days after leaving
the sweltering Alentejo and a little stop over in Lisbon later, we
find ourself in Guarda, in the northeast of the country. Nothing
reminds of the hot times just a few days ago. The difference in
culture and landscape is undeniable. Clear sky but a freezy wind give
some winter impressions already. Well aware of the uncertain weather
in the north this is still a little shock! Nevertheless after a hot
coffee in a sheltered corner we are ready and happy to hit the road
again.
North of Guarda we have the
first up and downs which give a good introduction to the hilly north.
From the first moment beautiful green scenery alternate with huge
depressing burned valleys. In 2016 occurred more then 200 bush fires
and burned down more forest than the last years accumulated. This is
visible every moment, or better to say in every second moment.
The next day brings some
further changes. The air is not as cold as the day before. Therefore
overnight the blue sky changed for a drizzle once in a while. The
long up and down to the beautiful and famous Rio Douro give the start
signal to the upcoming mountains. Until Mogadouro we keep our self
near the spanish border. But the weather remains changeable, the
reason why we decide to skip Miranda do Douro, where Rio Douro enters
Portugal in a deep ravine to find his way to the Atlantic in Porto.
Instead we go the most direct way up to Branganca. Not a bad
decision: After an endless downhill to Rio Sabor we leave the main
road and find a small road without any traffic, but with great views
to the hills and rivers around us. Just in time we reach Bragança
and avoid the first heavy rain on this tour. Instead we change out
tent for a cozy hotel room with the long-desired hot shower.
The city of Bragança is
embedded in the green and lonesome Natural Park Montesinho with hills
up to 1.200 m. The pretty historic city center of Bragança is
over-topped by the castle of the Duke of Bragança, one of Portugals
most important dynasties, indeed is worthy to visit and gives a good
impression of the wealth and importance this city had in it's time.
Today the city center is surrounded by several industrial zones and
is still the regional center of northeastern, but just a poor
leftover from it's history.
Independent where you leave
Bragança the all-dominating color is green: Oaks, Chestnuts, walnut,
pines cover the entire region. The best to experience this calm zone
might be the Natural Park Montesinho north of Bragança. Endless
forests with hidden, lost in time villages dominate the mountains
along the border. This time of the year it is a natural paradise:
chestnuts, walnuts, blackberries, figs and grapes cover all needs of
fresh vegetables.
To spare some uphills, as well
as some kilometer, we decide not to enter the Natural Park right in
Bragança, but to leave the city in the west. Right behind the city
we got lost in time. Small villages full of stone built houses and
individual and hand-worked fields accompany the up- and downhills
before we reach the National Road from Bragança to Braga in Vinhais,
another regional center, best known for it's dark and tasty
chestnuts. After a few kilometer we leave this main road and finally
enter the almost deserted National Park Montesinho. Deep river
valleys and steep uphills take turns and offer marvelous views over
the hills until Spain. Sparsely populated, also the options of
possible roads is limited, but each one is an amazing. Villages are
rare, hospitality is more intensive therefore. After a few tough
hills we leave Montesinho behind in it's east by a long downhill.
Along the way we pass by beautiful villages like Sao Vicente and
Paradela. The historic villages, good coffee, local honey and the
rare circumstance of sunshine force us to slow down and spend the
rest of the day on the way down before present got us back in Chaves.
