Today we left our berth at Pinhau early morning for the 5 hour cruise along the Douro and berthed at Barca d’Alva in preparation for our afternoon excursion to Castelo Rodrigo.
The medieval village with thick stonewall houses is one of Portugal’s 12 historical parishes and sits spectacularly on its own hill in close proximity to the Spanish border. Castelo Rodrigo has been the scene of many frontier battles over the ages and hence its centre piece, the well reasonably preserved castle itself.
Another aspect of its history is that it became a major settlement for Jewish people fleeing the Spanish inquisition. There is so much history surrounding these events at Castelo Rodrigo and we were most grateful to our guide for the explanations.
Barca d’Alva is the furthest point along the Douro River that Viking Hemming can navigate. We spent the night at the berth in order to facilitate a quick crossing of the Spanish border the next day when we were scheduled to visit the University City of Salamanca.
Silver Travel Advisor recommends Viking River and Ocean Cruises
- The Douro – Portugal’s River of Gold with Viking Cruises: Day 1
- The Douro – Portugal’s River of Gold with Viking Cruises: Day 2
- The Douro – Portugal’s River of Gold with Viking Cruises: Day 3
- The Douro – Portugal’s River of Gold with Viking Cruises: Day 4
- The Douro – Portugal’s River of Gold with Viking Cruises: Day 5
- The Douro – Portugal’s River of Gold with Viking Cruises: Day 7
- The Douro – Portugal’s River of Gold with Viking Cruises: Day 8
- The Douro – Portugal’s River of Gold with Viking Cruises: Day 9
