Alto Douro Wine Region

Alto Douro Wine Region is a cultural landscape in northeastern Portugal centred on the Douro River valley, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. The region is defined by vineyards laid out on terraces and stone walls that adapt viticulture to steep schist slopes.

The valley features a sequence of terraced plots, traditional quintas or wine estates, and small towns that together reflect centuries of wine production, particularly for Port wine export. Travelling along the river reveals extensive stone terracing, dry-stone walls and planted vines following the contours.

Viticulture in the Douro has a long history and the landscape evolved in response to market forces and technical developments; many terraces and estate layouts date from the 18th and 19th centuries when wine trade expanded. The region remains an active agricultural landscape with living wine-making traditions.

Geographically the Alto Douro occupies a stretch of the Douro River in northeastern Portugal, inland from Porto, with the steep valley running through Viseu District and adjacent municipalities.

• Terraced vineyards: Contains terraced vineyards carved into steep schist slopes and an agricultural system shaped by centuries of viticulture and the port wine trade.
• Viewing points: Best viewpoints are along the river between the towns of Peso da Régua and Pinhão and from historic quintas overlooking the valley.

What to See #

• Pinhão and Regua valley: The Douro Valley between Peso da Régua and Pinhão, where steep terraced vineyards line the river and dominate the valley slopes.
• Quintas (wine estates): Historic wine estates or quintas, many with 18th- and 19th-century buildings and terraced viticultural terraces developed to suit the schistose slopes.