Armamar

High on the shoulder between the Douro and the Beira plateau, Armamar is a town of two landscapes: to the north its parishes step down through vine terraces to the river, to the south they open into the cool orchard country of the mountains. The town sits at the hinge between the two, its granite streets looking west towards Lamego and the vine country of the Douro demarcated region.

Between river and plateau

Armamar’s origins are medieval, and its charter was renewed in the sixteenth century; the parish church of São Miguel anchors the old centre. Downhill, the slopes that reach the Douro belong to the demarcated wine region, producing both dry Douro wines and fortified port at estates that welcome visitors for tastings. Uphill, the plateau orchards grow the mountain apples and, increasingly, cherries that give the municipality its farming fame, alongside chestnut woods.

Viewpoints over the Douro

The roads down to the river pass some of the Douro’s long views, and the municipality promotes its viewpoints over the valley, where the river bends below the terraces of Sabrosa and Tabuaço. Wine tastings pair the two halves of the municipality — the river’s port and the plateau’s fruit — and the neighbouring wine villages of Tabuaço extend the route along the southern bank of the Douro.

What to see

• The parish church of São Miguel and the old centre
• The viewpoints over the Douro valley
• The vine terraces of the northern parishes
• The apple orchards and chestnut woods of the plateau
• The wine estates with Douro and port tastings

Practical information

Armamar lies in the Viseu district, in the Douro sub-region, on the roads between Lamego and the plateau towns. Winters are cold on the plateau and summers hot in the valley: bring layers, drive carefully on the descent to the river, and check the official websites before setting out.

Image credit: Armamar – Portugal by Vitor Oliveira — CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.