Residencial S. Paulo

Lamego and its 686 Steps!

by Bwana_Brown

Lamego is a very old city in northern Portugal, located near the southern boundary of the Douro River region that is noted for its Port wines. The city is located in a fertile valley below its most famous attraction, the pilgrimage shrine of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies) perched in a beautiful forested park. The building itself is not so much the wonder as is the famous double staircase of 686 granite steps that leads up to it. We climbed them three times during our 2 days there, and the artistry that went into their construction is amazing.

We arrived in Lamego on a sunny and warm Day 9 of our Portugal trip, and Day 6 of our road trip around the country in our rental car. I had booked two nights accommodation over the phone, sight unseen, several weeks earlier because this looked like a good central spot in northern Portugal from which to make a couple of excursions. It turned out to be a good choice - we made one day trip even further north to the mountainous 'Geraz do Minho' region and then a second one along the famous Douro River (my 'Pinhao' page) before finally heading south and west for the Atlantic Ocean near Aveiro, at 'Praia de Mira'.

Lamego is a nicely sized city, not so big that the traffic is a problem but it offers plenty of things to see and do while you are in the area. We quite enjoyed our stay here!