Your Travel Experience with Finest Journeys
Belmonte
As you leave the Douro Valley, drive across the Montemuro mountains to Viseu, the birthplace of prince Henry the Navigator and court painter Vasco Fernandes. Many of the 16th century painter’s works can be admired on a visit to Grao Vasco National Museum. Stroll through the narrow streets with traditional shops and medieval houses at the Rua Nova, the old jewish street. Don’t miss the Rossio framed by a blue tile mosaic telling the stories of the Beira people in years gone by. Next on your journey is Belmonte, a small village isolated behind the mountain of Estrela, birthplace of Alvares Cabral the navigator that discovered Brazil in 1500 and a Jewish community that survived the Inquisition to these days. As you approach the town, do not miss a stop at the Centum Cellas a rare roman multi-floor building.