Norte, Portugal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Região Norte (pron. IPA [ʁɨʒi'ɐ̃ũ 'nɔɾtɨ]; English: North Region), the northern part of Portugal is a land of dense vegetation and profound historic and cultural wealth. It is a culturally varied region, thus historical rivalry between different neighbouring cities and towns are very common, although with strong common Portuguese identity, but unlike other regions such as Alentejo where every city and town are culturally very similar. Its capital is Porto.
It has 3,687,212 inhabitants (2001), and its area is 21,278 km².
It is one of five Regions of Portugal (NUTS II subdivisions).
It was here that Portugal's first king, Dom Afonso Henriques, was born in the beginning of the 12th century, having then extended the kingdom to the south, in what was considered as one of the most heroic feats of the Christian Reconquest.
The inheritance of a distant past is seen everywhere.
You can stay at one of the excellent manor-houses and mansions with coats of arms, and enjoy the aristocratic tradition of hospitality. Along with this unreproachable art one may enjoy an abundant gastronomy - light wines (vinhos verdes) and rich wines, and a variety of handicrafts that mingles the shine of` the filigree with the colour of the local embroideries.
The country's longest motorway (A1, from Lisbon to Porto) goes up to Braga (A3), in the heart of Costa Verde. If you follow the coastline on the road from Vila do Conde to Valença, you will not miss the beautiful beaches, seaside resorts and enchanting villages such as Caminha and Vila Nova de Cerveira. Inland and worthwhile visiting are the Peneda-Gerês National Park, the Montesinho Natural Park, the Alvao Natural Park and two World Heritage Sites: the Alto Douro Wine Region and the Prehistoric Rock-Art Sites in the Côa Valley.
Throughout the region the rivers, waterfalls, vineyards and fertile plots combine with the ancestral monuments in urban centres.
