From Coimbra, its tiled roofs clustered on riverside slopes, head north east into the Dão wine region. The vineyards that line the river valley use grapes often grown for port to make deep, dark red wines. Sample them as you amble or freewheel along the old railway line that’s been converted into a 49km path through the countryside. Next, work your way up into Portugal’s highest mountain range and the Parque da Serra da Estrela. The park’s wild landscape is scattered with pothole lakes and reservoirs, including the oddity of Covão dos Conchos, a circular funnel that channels water down and out to the surrounding land from the middle of a quiet lagoon. As you head back to Coimbra, stop in Piódão, one of Portugal’s oldest villages, where a handful of simple stone houses is wedged near-vertically in a narrow valley. Climbing up to the simple church and bathing in the ‘river beach’ pool give you moments of peace to think about everything you’ve managed to pack in.
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This is the perfect time to immerse yourself in the Loire valley’s incredible history and culture. In 2019, the region will be heavily involved in celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the French Renaissance and cities such as Orléans, Tours, Amboise and Angers will be alive with events commemorating the art, achievements and famous figures of the time. The whole stretch along the river from Sully-sur-Loire to Chalonnes is a UNESCO World Heritage site, designated for its cultural landscape and many incredible castles, such as the Château de Chambord. Even outside of a commemorative year, drifting along the country roads is a trip that takes in an astounding breadth of culture, from grand vineyards to ancient villages carved from the legendary tuffeau stone.
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Treviso is a beautiful town of waterways and arches that’s remained calm and unspoilt thanks to the lure of nearby Venice. It sits where two rivers meet, in a region of northern Italy that offers fine wine, mountain hiking and visits to ancient walled cities in the hills. After arriving in Treviso airport and spending a day or two wandering the narrow streets from trattoria to bacar, head north into prosecco country to sample Valdobbiadene’s dry sparkling whites. From there, work your way west along the foot of the mountains to the walled city of Marostica, where the old fortifications curve up the slopes and dark wine cellars offer tastings of the local produce. If you have time, a dash north can take you to Asiago, a tiny town in a bowl of mountains and the only place where you’ll find the official version of the famous cheese. Finish your trip with a couple of days in Vicenza, a city of quiet plazas and refinement, dominated by the stunning work of 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio.
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