Search results
Viseu, is a charming hilltop city and district capital in central Portugal. It is situated in the Beira Alta between the mountain ranges of the Serra da Estrela and Serra do Caramulo, about halfway between Aveiro and Guarda off the new A25 Motorway right in the middle of the famous Dão wine region. Map. Directions. Satellite.
- Viseu Cathedral
- Centro Historico
- Adro Da Sé
- Grão Vasco National Museum
- Praça Da República
- Igreja Da Misericórdia
- Porta Do Soar
- Parque Do Fontelo
- Museu Almeida Moreira
- Palácio Do Gelo
This wonderful building was started in the 12th century, during the reign of Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques. Seen from the square in front there’s a 17th-century Baroque facade flanked by two towers; the south is medieval, while the north, like the facade, needed to be rebuilt in the 1600s after a storm. That fusion of styles and periods i...
Inside the circle of 15th-century ramparts is Viseu’s historic quarter, cresting at the cathedral square. These twisting alleys are laid with rounded granite flagstones and have proud whitewashed houses, some in better condition than others . A few streets to include in a bewildering jaunt through this labyrinth are Rua Escura, Rua Direita and Rua ...
A monumental square in the highest part of the city (literally built on granite boulders), the Adro da Sé is up there with the most impressive ensembles in the country. Wherever you stand there’s a photo-worthy view, whether it’s the cathedral, seminary (containing the Grão Vasco Museum) or the Igreja da Misericórdia. One of the structures that you...
Named for one of the most important painters of the Portuguese Renaissance (Grão Vasco), this absorbing museum has painting, sculpture and applied arts from the 1200s to the 1900s. The venue is also exciting, in that seminary by the cathedral. The obligatory works here are the 16th-century painting composed in the 16th century by the Viseu Grão Vas...
In the Rossio area, the this handsome central square is worthwhile for the tile panel at the foot of the slope on the northern edge. You’ll need to cross the road to go in to see the details better. These azulejos (traditional glazed tiles) were painted by the vaunted Portuguese artist Joaquim Lopes in the early 1930s. On a panel capped with a balu...
The other striking landmark on the Adro da Sé is this church opposite the cathedral and constructed in the 18th century. It combines Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical design, and if it weren’t for the cross you could almost mistake this building for a palace; the facade grabs you with its pilasters, pediments, shell motifs and ostentatious balustrad...
One of the remaining traces of Viseu’s defensive walls is this gate to the west of the cathedral. It guides you into the old town and was built in 1472 when King Afonso V renovated the fortifications, as the inscription on the gate will tell you. Something this fragment of wall shares with all late medieval defences in Portugal is the niche with an...
The largest green space in the city is a soothing oak and chestnut forest where the people of Viseu go to recharge their batteries and get active. The park has an interesting history as it was part of a huge estate belonging to the bishops of the city. They built a palace here in the 14th century, which is used by the regional wine commission. Also...
You can pop into this museum to get to know one of Viseu’s most intriguing 20th-century characters. Almeida Moreira was the founder and first director of the Grão Vasco Museum, and started collecting art and artefacts as a teenager. It’s no surprise his house is crammed with faience, porcelain, sculptures, furniture and 19th and 20th-century Portug...
If you’re stuck for somewhere to go on a rainy day this leisure and shopping centre is just south of the centre of the city. It goes back to 1996, but got an expensive overhaul ten years ago. There are more than 160 shops in a clean, airy building. But if you’re here with family the main appeal will be the leisure facilities; there’s a bowling alle...
The only district of Portugal not bordering Spain or the sea, Viseu is home to numerous mountains, a network of rivers and rugged terrain. You’ll find the district’s capital almost in the geographical centre, around 50 kilometres east of the Atlantic.
Download this stock image: Viseu, district of Portugal. Grayscale elevation map with lakes and rivers. Corner auxiliary location maps - 2N172FR from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
Download this stock image: Viseu, district of Portugal. Diagram showing the location of the region on larger-scale maps. Composition of vector frames and PNG shapes on a solid b - 2N172FA from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
The city of Viseu has an almost central position in relation to the District lying on the so-called Viseu Plateau (in Portuguese Planalto de Viseu). It is surrounded by a mountainous system constituted to the north by the Leonil, Montemuro, and Lapa hills, to the northeast by the Arado hills, to the south and southeast by the Serra da Estrela ...
People also ask
Where is Viseu located?
How many people live in Viseu?
Where is Viseu Cathedral?
What to do in Viseu?
Map of Viseu By car: signposting for the city centre is good. There is an inner ring road with 12 roundabouts giving access to the inner city at frequent intervals.
