A district that enjoys an average of over 2,700 hours of sunshine a year, Viseu is inland and central with a total population of around 394,000. Its 24 municipalities oversee 372 parishes that take up just over 5,000 km2 (1,930 sq. miles).
Flanked by six other districts, namely Coimbra, Guarda, Castelo Branco, Aveiro, Porto, Vila Real and Braganca, touching nether Spain or having a seaboard, as all other districts do, Viseu is served by the A24, A25 and IP3 major roads, connecting it with Aveiro, Guarda, Coimbra, and Chaves on the Spanish border.
Once a large Roman garrison town, district capital Viseu is now not exactly a throbbing metropolis, more a quietly cultured, historically-rich city, surrounded by a rich agricultural landscape. Viseu is acknowledged for fine cheeses and for being the epicentre of Dão wine production, notably reds that have a Burgundy-Esque resonance. Local artisans here continue the traditions of intricate, handmade lace and signature black pottery. The twin-towered, 13th-century cathedral overlooks the city, which went through a huge population decline in the 1960s due to migration. Recovery has taken place with Viseu now a regional economic hub with a strong wine industry and global enterprise Visabeira based here.
Viseu has a Mediterranean climate with occasional high temperatures, experiencing cold and wet winters, and hot, dry summers. Winters are wet by Portuguese standards, with a best-avoided December average rainfall of around 200 millimetres (8 inches). There is golf in the district and challenging courses for the experienced and novice alike. For something more leisurely visit the Grão Vasco museum to see the work of the celebrated Portuguese artist Vasco Fernandes, and other notable national artists and sculptors. One of the ‘fathers of Fado’, composer Augusto Hilário, is a famous son of the district, as is Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968, and leader of the Estado Novo regime, António Salazar, who was born in the Santa Comba Dão municipality.
The district’s best concentration of educational and medical facilities are found in Viseu city, including the state-run Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Universidade Católica Portuguesa and Instituto Piaget. There are three secondary schools and the central hospital, Hospital of São Teotónio. As well as plentiful traditional shops in amongst the tourist trail, there are also two shopping centres. The Palacio do Gelo has an excellent view of the sometimes snow-capped Estrela range, plus numerous hostels and hotels to suit all budgets.
Viseu is now one of the largest cities in Europe without a railway connection, but the municipality has Viseu Airport that offers scheduled commercial flights to some domestic destinations with Aero VIP. The city also has the MUV bus network, which operates services across the entire municipality.
One of Viseu’s major attractions is the mountainous landscape that surrounds the city. The Serra da Estrela National Park lies to the south and south-east and is one of the country’s highest and most popular recreational destinations. The Mondego River originates here, a wild environment where wolves are still thought to roam and sheepdogs, the Cão da Serra, are said to wear spiked collars to protect them from their distant cousins.
The ostensibly dry town of Mortagua is in this district. Legend has it that it began as a village created on a lake. The name stayed but no evidence of such watery origins have been proven. See also Lamego, considered to be exemplary for the Portuguese Baroque style, showcased among its numerous churches, palaces, and government buildings.
Wine, walking and wilderness might be one way of describing the district of Viseu, where you can find tranquil villages that are still remarkably untouched by modern life. It’s cosmopolitan and cultured enough, when you need it, and reassuringly remote and relaxed if that’s what life in Portugal means to you.
A one-bedroom apartment to rent in the city centre will cost around 400.00 € Per month and outside of the centre an average of 300.00 € Per month
To purchase an apartment in the city centre, expect to pay around 1,400 per square metre and outside of the city centre around 1,150 per square metre.
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