The route of the Douro River

Douro River – A faraway traveler

BIRTH

At 2160 meters above sea level, in the peaks of the Urbión range, in the province of Soria, a river with countless stories to tell, the Douro River, is born.

 

THE TRIP

Still shy, insecure, the Douro begins its journey. Take your time, knowing that you still have about 897 km to go until the end of your journey, which makes it the 3rd longest river in the Iberian Peninsula.

He is a notorious traveler in these parts, known by several names: Douro in Portugal (where he passes through the cities of Miranda do Douro, Peso da Régua, Pinhão, Vila Nova de Gaia and Porto) and Duero in Spain (where he can be found in Sória , Almazán, San Esteban de Gormaz, and Zamora), therefore, a more than familiar face in the Iberian Peninsula. Few people still remember, but in times, this illustrious traveler was still known as the “river of gold” due to its importance in the gold trade routes in the Roman era.

He has been wandering this region for longer than we can count… He remembers, as he passes along Tordesilhas, which occupies its banks, seeing the old Kingdom of Portugal and the former Crown of Castile divide the lands “discovered and by discover” between the two.

It has experienced all this history, but, calmly, the river has always continued its journey, harboring a variety of aquatic life, including several species of fish such as salmon, trout, lamprey or freshwater mussel (protected species).

Our traveler always liked to get involved in different projects in the places he passed through, allowing the construction of several dams along its course, which allows the production of hydroelectric energy. In addition, it also provides water for agriculture in the region and plays an important role in transporting people and goods.

Its majesty is noticeable as it passes through one of the oldest wine regions in the world, the Douro valley, where wine has been produced for over 2000 years (with emphasis on Port wine, exclusively produced in the region).

For all these reasons, the wine region of Alto Douro is now considered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, in the category of “cultural landscape”.

Allow yourselves to travel along with him, observing all the beautiful and calm landscapes he shaped along his long and ancient journey to its mouth, near Porto, a city that he helped to transform into one of the most cosmopolitan cities with the most life in Portugal, a city not to be missed!

Our traveler friend has inspired several artistic and literary projects, here is a quote from Eça de Queirós, known to this traveler that we present to you here:

"The Douro is a river of wine and gold, of myth and legend, flowing through a land of extraordinary beauty." - Eça de Queirós, from the book "A Cidade e as Serras".

 

Visit the Douro, let yourself be inspired!