Portugal Regions: Beira Alta
The mountainous region of Beira Alta in the north east of Portugal below Trás-os-Montes is centered on the city of Viseu.
Main Towns
North of Viseu is an area of elevated tableland called the planalto. This highland area is home to a number of historic, fortified towns and villages close to the border with Spain such as Trancoso, Almeida, whose walls are in the shape of a twelve-pointed star, Penedono, Castelo Bom, Castelo Mendo, Castelo Roderigo and Marialva.
North again the town of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, above the Côa Valley, came to world attention with the discovery in the 1990's of the largest display of outdoor Paleolithic art in Europe. They are now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The thousands of engravings are "the most outstanding example of early human artistic activity in this form anywhere in the world," according to UNESCO. This important discovery of early rock-art was only made during surveys for a new dam which was to flood the area. The engravings include animals, ibex, cattle and horses as well as some human shapes.
Guarda, 70km west of Viseu, on the IP5 highway to Salamanca in Spain is the highest town in Portugal at an altitude of over 1,000m.
South of Guarda lies Beira Alta's sister region of Beira Baixa. The names Alta and Baixa mean "Upper" and "Lower." To the west is Beira Litoral centered on Coimbra and the Atlantic Coast.
The Serra de Estrela mountain range, which is part of the Parque Natural da Serra de Estrela is the largest protected zone in Portugal with its highest mountains. The pleasant town of Covilhã, once an important center for its wool fabric and dyeing industry, is located on the eastern edge of the park.
The climate here though generally slightly cooler than in summer than Lisbon or the Algarve to the south, can be extremely hot, though the altitude, especially in Guarda, offers some respite. In winter the uplands can experience snow and the Serra de Estrela mountains play host to Portugal's small winter sports resorts.
Getting to Viseu
Train Travel in Portugal
The nearest train station to Viseu is in Nelas, to the south, with connections to Coimbra from where there are trains to both Lisbon and Porto.
Car Travel in Portugal
The A25/IP5 highway heads east to the Spanish border and Vilar Formoso and south to Covilha. The E80/IP5 runs west to Aveiro, connecting with the north-south A1/IP1 which links Porto and Lisbon.
Bus Travel in Portugal
Viseu has bus connections from the bus terminal at Avenida Dr Antonio Jose de Almeida to Coimbra (75 minutes), Covilha (1 hour, 40 minutes), Lisbon (3 hours, 30 minutes), Porto (1 hour, 45 minutes), Mangualde (20 minutes) and Guarda (75 minutes).
Buses also go to Salamanca in Spain with onward connections to Madrid. The bus station is a short walk downhill from the Camera Municipal.
Portugal Hotel & Hostel Accommodation
Viseu has a number of excellent places to stay including the Hotel Avenida, right next to Rossio, the Casa da Rua da Paz, the Hotel Palacio dos Melos and the Pousada De Viseu, located in a grand 19th century building.
See here for a full listing of hotel accommodation in Viseu.
Featured Hotel
The 4-star Hotel Grao Vasco, Rua Gaspar Barreiros, 3510-032 Viseu, Portugal.
Eating
The Beira Alta region is famous for its Dão wines (both red and white), which rank third in the list of quality Portuguese wine after the wines of the Douro and Alentejo regions. Queijo da Serra cheese is produced using traditional methods from sheep's milk from the flocks tended in the Serra de Estrela mountains.
The average high June temperatures for Portugal is between 22 degrees Centigrade and 26 degrees Centigrade.
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