CENTER - Central Nacional do Turismo no Espaço Rural

Solares de Portugal is an international symbol of our rich culture, they exemplify the art of living, they provide an opportunity to travel throughout our country, experience our deepest roots and traditions and enjoy the hospitality and warm welcome that characterises all of our family houses. Patrimony and well-being are an important part of Portuguese culture and motivated our nation’s spirit of challenge and discovery hence our pleasant homes provide an appropriate starting point for many fascinating journeys. Each of these family houses has its own special character, history and specifications that have changed little over the course of time.

Thereby we welcome a new member: Quinta da Ventuzela is our new associate house. Integrated in the category of Quintas e Herdades, this is a Farm House from the mid 17th century. It is located in the Douro Valley, in a lovely region of unique characteristics and unique beauty. The Quinta was completely renovated in order to be reconverted into a comfortable accommodation. This traditional Quinta of the Douro region combines a symbiosis between tradition and modernity. The main House is surrounded by a small Chapel built in 1635, an alembic, a couple of oil-works, a water tank, a fountain with pure water, a swimming-pool, and also two other houses named “Casa da Eira” and “Casa do Caseiro”. Quinta da Ventuzela has many agricultural fields that cascade down onto the Douro River bed. The Quinta has 4 Bedrooms (3 doubles and 1 twin) and 2 apartments for 4 persons.

This year we also created a new product: the new road map of Solares de Portugal. This map with has pictures of all members, with information of each manor house and the easiest away to arrive there. This new brochure has a complete map with the roads of Portugal, as well as the locations of all the houses, with GPS coordinates, and the distances between the Portuguese board towns and main cities. This new map, with essential information about Solares in five languages: Portuguese, English, French, Spanish and German, it is also an important support for journeys and trips in Portugal, because it is the most recent map of the Portuguese roads.

Until the end of 2007 we will present the book of Solares de Portugal. We hope that with this magnificent book we inspire the reader to live the dream and visit the best stately homes in the country and that it will convince them of the vital need for all of us to defend our roots and traditions.

Francisco de Calheiros