Pinhão Village - Douro Vinheteiro | Portugal

Hello everyone :)

Continuing the short tour through northern lands, source of some of the most famous nectars in the world and the most passionate landscapes, considered world heritage, it would be impossible to highlight this geographical point without passing through that place that is considered the epicenter of this reality. It is in the small village of Pinhao that thousands of people meet there to enjoy what the land has to offer.
It was there that we also had the opportunity to witness this meeting, this meeting between known and unknown people from the most varied parts of the world.

In the time we spent there, i was able to identify, without exaggerating, at least 15 different languages, with a greater predominance of English, Spanish and Japanese.
That's where those who arrived on the cruises would stay, and from there those who would go there would leave to catch the train or board the small boats to take short rides along the Douro river and from there to contemplate the high mountains and valleys full of vineyards, with a unique feature, crafted over many years.

This is where some of the most important farms that produce the famous Port wine are located, and which are also one of the main attractions for anyone visiting this region of the country.
All of them end up offering a variety of programs dedicated to their main product, including hotel and catering services.
Arriving there from the N222 national road, we entered the village crossing the river over the railway bridge, and right there we realized that the pace was going to be slow, considering the number of vehicles stopped in line as far as the eye could see.

Only further on and after crossing the bridge, i realized that the railway line crossed the bridge exit and at that moment the barriers were closed as one of the many trains that pass through there on the route of the Douro Vinheteiro was arriving.
This village is dubbed by many as the most beautiful village in the Douro, but honestly, and wanting to believe that the meaning will be other than aesthetic, it is a village built in a strategic point, which once played a fundamental role in the distribution of wine.
From there, boats and trains departed carrying the barrels of wine to the city of Gaia, where the Port wine cellars are located, and is still a place of great tourist interest.

I didn't find any of those historic centers in that place that make us imagine ancient times, because compared to the many villages spread across this country, this small village is relatively new, although this wine region is one of the oldest in the world.
There we managed to cross the village and park the car in a place further away from the train station, which i still consider the center, where everyone gathers and where most of the high street shops are located.

Something interesting that happened right there in the center.
The difference between a place completely crowded with people and a place where you can move around and get to know each other is just a train ride away.

A chain of perfectly synchronized events that filled and emptied a place in a matter of a few minutes.
When we got to the center the train was leaving and the crowd had disappeared, extraordinary!

If i had planned this arrival, it wouldn't have gone so well :P
We had the opportunity to walk around the village by the river and relax a little on a garden bench while the various boats arrived and left loaded with people.

Initially, the idea was to visit Pinhão and continue the trip for lunch in another location, but we lost track of time and when we looked at the clock it was long past the time we get used to having lunch, so we decided to look for a local restaurant "Casa do Escritor" and have lunch right there, on a small terrace with a privileged view of the river :)

After a full belly and on the way to where we parked, with more time and without rushing, we pass by the Railway Station again, considered the ex-libris of the village, with its extraordinary and world-renowned tile panels where the entire cycle of port wine production is portrayed, and where there were some guides giving a tour and explaining the same process to some tourists who were also there tasting some samples of the famous wine.

From there we continued our journey with a few more memories to remember.
That´s all for today, hope you enjoyed the ride :)

Photo by @aleister
Camera - Canon EOS 600D
Lens - EFS 18-55mm / 70-300mm
Location - Portugal

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Value your time, because every fraction counts, and the price of anything is the amount of life you trade for it.
May the memories of the travels be eternalized in the photographs, and may the photographs transport us back to the travels ;)