I was at EuRuKo last month, held in a small city in the Norte Region of Portugal called Viana do Castelo. The conference was held in the Centro Cultural de Viana do Castelo, which is a really open, really impressive events venue and cultural centre built close to mouth of the River Lima into the Atlantic Ocean.

The word “castelo” translates to “castles,” and, yes, there are many historic castles and castle-like buildings throughout the city and larger Viana do Castelo district. If EuRuKo hadn’t been scheduled here, it’s unlikely that I would have ever known to come here, but I’m glad I did.

The fact that everyone front-of-house in the restaurants spoke English confidently also tells me that this is a destination for tourists, especially considering that this was less true in the other smaller municipalities I visited throughout the Norte Region of Portugal. This is probably also because it’s a destination on the Camino de Santiago. So what I’m trying to say is that it was an exceptional place for a foreigner like me to visit for a couple of days. If you’re going to visit Viana do Castelo, I can offer a few recommendations:

  • Sanctuarium is a bar and café at the top of the mountain of Santa Luzia, a short walk up from the towering Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There’s a both a steep staircase and a funicular operated by the Church that can be used to get to the summit. Go to Sanctuarium on a clear day so you can see the city and the water down below. The garden seating here is enviable, and many locals had drove up to the top of the mountain to picnic.
  • Pacóvio is a tiny wine and tapas bar not far from the Centro Cultural. I found no better place to try the regional wine and low-key local food. I think it’s owner-operated, with just a single couple running the front-of-house and back-of-house by themselves.
  • Peloton Coffee and Cycling is a chill, slow coffee place if you’re in need of specialty coffee.
  • Ribeiro’s Brewers is a craft beer bar with an always-fresh tap list. When I visited, there were plenty small-batch Portuguese, Spanish, and German beers on the menu, and the staff was pretty excited to talk beer.