The mountainous region received its charter in 1514 by King Manuel I. Found in Terras de Bouro old “Castro” of Chalcedon, erected by the Romans, we also find countless landmarks and millenary Roman road between Braga and Astorga, a town that is known for Geira national treasures of Portugal.

The Gerês symbolizes the harmony between man and nature, a constant sharing of activities and feelings between people and the inhospitable nature of the granite mountains shaped by time.

The crystal clear waters flows by streams and the clean air involves a great diversity of fauna and flora providing a continuous movement of calm and pleasure. Home of some animals like the semi wild horse Garrano, Wolves, Fallow Deers and many others endangered species.

A hiking trails net that allows to see places that would be impossible to find by car, an experience that should not be missed.

Major tourist destination for over a century is a brand to defend, preserve and learn to take advantage of its legitimate for the sustainability of the region. The Peneda-Geres Park offers products and services with great quality and aiming to provide welfare so necessary to our lives so hectic.

To understand Pena Palace and the beautiful Gardens sourrounding the Palace the tourist has to see the opera Parsifal…An opera with three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Parzival by Wolfram von Eschenbach, a 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival (Percival) and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Perceval, the Story of the Grail, by Chrétien de Troyes’.

Parsifal is one of King Arthur’s legendary Knights of the Round Table, which can be found  in the Pena Palace Gardens.

Wagner’s spelling of Parsifal instead of the Parzival he had used up to 1877 is informed by an erroneous etymology of the name Percival deriving it from a supposedly Arabic origin,Fal Parsi meaning “pure fool”. Playing with words…

Remember the most important it is not inside the Pena Palace but in the Gardens and the Castle of The Moors.

All starts with the Warrior in the Garden, D.Fernando put the it exacly in the place where he love to seat and paint.

The Warrior (or Parsifal or problably D.Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha)

High Cross, Cruz Alta (or Excalibur with the sword inside the rock)

Pena Palace, The Castle of the Holy Grail

Chalet Condessa d’Edla, Pena Palace Gardens or Klingsor’s magic garden

Duck House, Klingsor’s magic garden

The Castle of The Moors (or Avalon)

Lawrence’s Hotel (the oldest hotel on the Iberian Peninsula)

Monserrate Palace

Seteais Palace Hotel

Vila Palace

Quinta da Regaleira

All Photos in this Post and Page were Courtesy from Bruno Nabiça.

The Perfect Tourist  eMagazine

Museum town with white houses facades sober but flowering with porticos and Manueline aristocratic windows all lined winding streets, sometimes surmounted by arcades, interrupted by other small squares that give the guard jewelry Portuguese civil and religious architecture. The Church of Mercy (XV century), the Church of St. Peter (XVIII) and the St. Martin Chapel (XIV century) are just a few examples among many others that focus on the small area of the borough.

The Royal Palace and the perimeter walls of the castle which overlooks the Águas Livres Aqueduct, are essential. The citadel originated in castro dated 380 BC

This makes a tour of this authentic asleep town  in one of the most comforting time travel.

One should not fail to try the local cuisine that stands out fish stew of Obidos lagoon, which can only be accompanied by special regional wines.

Within the walls, there are many typical bars where you can enjoy a typical drink: a ginjinha.

Lisbon earned its spot as a city for lovers thanks to its “glorious old buildings, new restaurants, clothes shops and museums”, which according to the author co-exist in the same space and make the city “one of the most famous in Europe, with an excellent quality-price ratio.”

“Although Lisbon embraces the past, its glorious old buildings house new restaurants, clothing boutiques and museums that have made the city one of Europe’s hippest—and most affordable—cultural destinations”, Food & Wine’s journalist writes. The author further suggests Lisbon’s Bairro Alto Hotel as the place to stat while on a romantic getaway to the city, accompanied by a meal at Restaurant 560.

“Bairro Alto is considered Lisbon’s first contemporary boutique hotel. Its 55 rooms blend traditional Portuguese design with luxe touches like flat-screen TVs and plush bed linens”, she pens, adding: “Restaurante 560 pays homage to simple Portuguese staples like octopus and farinheira (black pork sausage) by reinterpreting them in inspired ways: Octopus is deep-fried and served with rice and sautéed sprouts, while farinheira comes wrapped in phyllo-pastry.”