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Vila Real
Vila Real is a small city located 90 kilometers east of Porto and 20 kilometers north of the Douro River. It is the capital of the district of Vila Real. According to the 2001 census, the city had a population of 24,481, while the municipality of the same name, which includes rural areas, had a population of 50,131 in 2008. Vila Real was ranked in seventh place in the most livable cities in Portugal survey carried out by the weekly Expresso.
The location of the town is stunning as it is built along the banks of two rivers, the Corgo and the Cabril, which flow in canyons on each side of the old town. From an old church and cemetery the visitor can look down on the confluence of the two rivers as they form one to race down to the Douro.
Towering over the town in the west is the famous Marão peak, which until recent years impeded communications between the coast and the interior. Now one of the longest highway tunnels in Europe is being built to bring Vila Real even closer to Porto and the populated coastal plain.
Vila Real is a city of ups and downs, which can make a leisurely walk turn into a good workout. Due to its steep streets it is not a city of bicycle users, but thankfully almost everything is within walking distance and there is an excellent bus system called Corgo Bus.
There are no castles or great cathedrals here, and the medieval walls have long since been torn down, but a few kilometers outside the town, to the east, lies the Mateus Palace, an architectural gem created by the Italian Nazoni. It can be seen on all of those iconic bottles of Mateus Rosé, which, although not being the best Portuguese wine, is certainly the most sold, at least outside of Portugal.
What brings life to Vila Real is the Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro, a public university with more than 10,000 students. The students can be seen walking around the town with their traditional black coats and during the Academic Week a good-natured parade takes place with floats and a lot of beer.
On weekends there is quite a party atmosphere at the many bars and cafés patronized by the university students, while the more family oriented Vilarealenses can be seen at the impressive Dolce Vita Douro shopping center where there are many fast-food restaurants and six cinema rooms to choose from. Below the mall there is an extensive park along the river with jogging and cycling paths.
If you are the type of person who thrives in a big city then don't lose hope since in 45 minutes you can leave the rather sedate world of Vila Real and be in the hustle and bustle of Portugal's second city, and capital of the north, Porto. But if you prefer the wide open spaces then in a few minutes you can be either on the Marão or its sister Alvão hiking, rock climbing, bathing in pristine waterfalls, or just contemplating nature.
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