Monte de Santa Luzia, Viana do Castelo
Most visitors to Viana do Castelo take the funicular to Monte de Santa Luzia and its basilica, Santuário de Santa Luzia. At the top there are superb views over the River Lima and the Atlantic Ocean.
If you decide to walk it's a hard 30 minute slog up hundreds of stairs. It's better to ride up and walk down if you do want the exercise.
The funicular opened in 1923 thanks to the efforts of the Porto-based entrepreneur and engineer Bernardo Pinto Abrunhosa.
Totally renovated between 2005-2007 the funicular ascends the 650 meters to the summit in 6-7 minutes.
The neo-Byzantine basilica at the top (Templo do Sagrado Coração de Jesus; Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) is of little interest within, though visitors can ascend a narrow and winding set of stone stairs to the dome at the top for even more impressive views. The massive church was designed by architect Miguel Ventura Terra (1866-1919), though the building was not finally completed until 1943.
The area around the Santuário de Santa Luzia has a cafe and restaurant. Wooded areas are favourite picnic areas for Portuguese families in the summer. The basilica is also a popular place for weddings.
A few hundred meters back from the church is the recommended four star Pousada do Monte de Santa Luzia. The original building dates from 1918 and there are superb views from the terraces and rooms at the front of the hotel. This elegant and classy accommodation offers an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court and restaurant.
Just behind the pousada is the Citânia de Santa Luzia, a settlement dating back to the Iron and Bronze ages. Visitors can tour the site viewing the stone foundations of the surviving, circular buildings on a raised steel walkway. The Visitors' Center shows a video (in Portuguese) on the history of the site.
