Viking River Cruise on Portugal’s River of Gold

Viking River Cruises has some of the most appealingly seductive television ads. Often, when watching them, I wondered how accurate they were.  Well, having recently returned from our first Viking Cruise, I can honestly attest to the fact that the ads are not exaggerations.

We chose to cruise on Portugal’s Douro River named “River of Gold” because back in the day, the river was the method of transport for the fine wines, almonds, and olives produced in the valley – the primary source of the area’s wealth.

Portugal has  everything we were looking for – a rich cultural history, renowned cuisine, and world-famous wines. Perfect! Once we chose the destination and date, scheduling the trip was effortless. The touring options were generous with daily included offerings. Plus, we were given optional extra tours for minimal additional fees.

Due to the size of the Douro’s lock system, our ship, the Viking Hemming, is one of the smaller ships in the Viking fleet. But it has every amenity you could hope for. The staterooms are beautifully decorated with queen-sized beds, balconies, full baths with rain showers and  abundant hot water, complimentary WIFI throughout the ship, nightly entertainment, and a pool topside with a large deck for enjoying the passing scenes.

Fresh local food with daily Portuguese specialties were on the menu, and for those who wanted something more familiar, steak and hamburgers and other stateside staples, as well as vegetarian meals, were always available.

The staff gets high marks for their friendliness and efficiency. Kudos also to housekeeping for their constant attention and the cleanliness of cabins and public spaces. Even the floor-to-ceiling windows were spotless. At each stop, the windows were washed, allowing us to take photos from inside when the weather didn’t encourage going outside.

Maps, bottled water, and umbrellas (when necessary) were handed out every time we left the ship to tour, with a  smile and a “have a good time until we see you again.” Daily updates as to where we were and our next port-of-call, including the all-important weather conditions, were placed each evening in every statement. A libation was also offered when we returned to the ship from a day of sightseeing.

And speaking of tours, the tour directors were amazing: knowledgeable, helpful, pleasant, and always ready with a smile and jokes. If someone had a special interest, they would happily research it.

In order to guarantee personal attention and not overwhelm the sites we visited, the 120 passengers were split into three groups. Our assigned tour director was Joana Lapes, who kept us entertained with anecdotes and funny stories as we traveled by bus to our destination for the day.

Our cruise actually began in Lisbon with a city tour and overnight at a five-star hotel, which was a mere five-minute walk from the city center. The next morning, we piled into our comfortable, spacious coach for the drive north to Porto, Portugal’s second largest city, and the port from which the ship departed.

On the way, we stopped to visit the famous University of Coimbra. Established in 1290, the University is notable for the black capes the students wear and the colorful ribbons that determine each undergraduate’s course of study. A graduation tradition has friends and family removing all clothes from the graduate, leaving only their shoes and capes, and the festivities continue with the burning of the ribbons. 

Coimbra’s library is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with access strictly limited and controlled, including no pictures permitted. We were only allowed to stay a few minutes, hardly enough time to take in all of the spectacular gilded, decorative elements. These included exotic carvings on rare African woods, an intricate marble-laid floor, and painted ceilings that adorned the magnificent rooms.

Initially, only three subjects of study were offered at the University: Theology, Law, and  Medicine, and the library has one room dedicated to each subject.

We had lunch in the República (house of students) and were entertained by students and ex-students singing Fado, the very emotional heartfelt form of singing usually accompanied by the Portuguese guitar. Originally in Portugal, only men sang Fado, but in 1891, the female students at Coimbra began singing it. Now, both sexes perform the mournful melodies.

On to Porto, made famous for the fortified Port wine on which the city’s prosperity was built. The city of Porto, originally name Portoscali, is separated by the Douro River with Porto on one side and Scali (now Vila Nova de Gaia) on the other.

Porto is referred to as the City of Bridges for the six that span the river, two by Gustave Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame. The historic Old Town Center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, we had the opportunity to learn about and taste Port wine at one of the many wine-shipper cellars along the waterfront.

No visitor to Porto should miss the São Bento Railway Station, where one of the most romantic stories is played out in azulejo tiles. In 1386, King John, an infamous man-about-town, was married to Philippa of Lancaster, the eldest daughter of John of Gaunt, to seal a vital alliance  with England. They did not know each other. In fact, their marriage was by proxy, as was the custom of the times, and supposedly, when they first met, they didn’t like each other.

But King John was charming and handsome, and Philippa apparently lost her heart to him. So the story goes, Philippa, a pious young woman, tried to lay down the law and told John to shape up and stop playing around. When he refused, she returned to England.

Realizing the error of his ways, John ran after her, espousing undying love. She returned to Portugal, they had nine children (one of whom was Henry the Navigator), and enjoyed a long, faithful, and loving marriage. (I could not find reference to this story in a history book, but our Porto guide assured me it was gospel. And besides, the tiles were beautiful.)

Daily, we visited charming small towns along the Douro River Valley, sailed in the afternoon when the light was best for viewing the hillsides covered by vineyards, and docked in the evening to explore on our own.

Our last port of call was Salamanca in Spain, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its beautiful main square, Plaza Mayor, which is often called the most beautiful in Spain. The Cathedral of Salamanca, both old 12th century, and new 16th century, is a must see.

Another not to be missed site is the Museum of Art Deco & Nouveau behind the cathedral. If you are a fan of French decorative art glass by Rene Lalique and Emile Gallé plus stained glass  windows of exceptional quality and art from circa 1920s, this is the museum to visit. There is also a collection of about 300 porcelain dolls in a gallery on the second floor. Thankfully, we had the good sense to stop for a treat of the famous Spanish hot chocolate in the café on the  first floor before visiting the gift shop.

Sailing leisurely back along the Douro River to Porto and passing through the five locks to navigate the different water levels on the river and canals was equally captivating on the return. For information on the many destinations, cruises and schedules Viking offers, visit:
www.vikingrivercruises.com

The author received a complimentary cruise, but as always, we are dedicated to giving you unbiased accounts of our experiences. See our Disclosures page for more information.