The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Portugal:
Northern Portugal
The stunning Minho, Douro, and Trás os Montes regions, which make up Northern Portugal, contrast remarkably with the flat, harsh lands of central and southern Portugal. (Northwestern Portugal is even called the Costa Verde, or Green Coast, because of the lush forests fed by its many mountain streams.) More than in other parts of the country, the people of the north seem deeply suspicious of change. Rural areas of the north are about as off-the-beaten-track as Portugal gets, especially in the northeast, which sees very little tourism. There are some important cities here, however, including Coimbra, a lively university town; Porto, an industrial capital famous for its fortified wines; and Braga, with some spectacular ecclesiastical architecture and transport links to the northern and northeastern corners of the country.
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