Two gems of northern Portugal: Quinta da Aveleda and Mateus Palace

Quinta da Aveleda has become famous even from a distance for its “green wine” Casal Garcia . The founder of the estate, Manuel Pedro Guedes da Silva Fonseca, started producing wine in the region 150 years ago. Back then, the region was not yet demarcated and did not have the name “Vinhos verdes”. Mr. Guedes must has been looking in a crystal ball when he planted the vineyards! Today, the company is still owned by the fifth generation of the Guedes family.

However, Quinta da Aveleda estate is primarily worth a visit for its ancient park! The park was designed in the 19th century, during the Victorian era, when romanticism was in vogue. That's why, among century-old trees and flowering shrubs, one imitation of a ruined building, or a multi-storey tower for pygmy goats, or a tea house in the middle of a pond appear from behind a bend.

The 8-hectare park has 114 plant species, including 90 species of camellias, ferns, cedars, eucalyptus, sequoias, Japanese cryptomeria, swamp cypress, rare oaks and pines.

Walking through mazes of rose bushes and azaleas, you suddenly come to a clearing with a fountain, from where you can see the residential part of the estate, a house covered with green ivy.

And around the park with the house, as if guarding them from prying eyes, vineyards are spread in even rows. These grapes are used to make not only wine, but also brandy, which is aged in oak barrels in the ancient winery on the estate.

After the walk, you can relax on the terrace and taste the wine and cheeses of the Quinta da Aveleda estate. The visit is possible in several options: only the park for 13 euros, the park + tasting of “vinhos verdes” for 21 euros.

In the afternoon you will visit the Mateus estate ! It is already in another region, behind the mountains, where the birthplace of port wine begins. Vila Real is a town founded by the king, as the name says.

The Mateus estate was owned by the Sousa Botelho family since the 16th century. These landlords received the title of nobility in the XIX century for their service to the Fatherland. They built the modern manor in the Baroque period, back in the XVIII century. It is said that the architect was the famous Italian Nicola Nazoni, the author of the Clerigos Church and Tower in the Porto City.

The estate consists of a palace, a park, a chapel and a winery. The park was designed in the 30s of the XX century, and it consists of several sectors, each in its own style, but the Neo-Baroque prevails, to harmonize with the baroque architecture of the buildings. Rosaries, a French parterre of intricately trimmed shrubs, an area of aromatic herbs, a shady gallery of interlocking Mexican cedars, a section with three cascading pools, and a sunlit archway of curved shrubs.

In 1871, the owner planted giant trees (Himalayan cedar and Lawson's cypress) in front of the front of the palace. And all around — vineyards and fields, because it was an estate that brought income and fed its inhabitants! In the 50s of the twentieth century, a small pond was built in front of the facade, in which the facade of the house is picturesquely reflected.

And against the background of all this beauty, a girl “slumbers” in the water, a sculpture by João Cutileiro.

Since the 70s of the twentieth century, the owners of the estate have been committed to supporting various cultural projects, established a cultural foundation for this purpose, opened access to the ancient family library, consisting of more than 6,000 books. And they opened part of their palace to the public!

So, if you want to walk through the garden only, the ticket costs 12.5 euros. If you want to visit the house-museum in addition to the garden, admire the furniture, carpets, porcelain, and ceilings, the ticket costs 18 euros. And what is an estate without wine! The DOP Douro wine tasting + park + house museum costs 30 euros.