Viseu, located in Central Portugal, is a historic city with notable granite monuments on alleys that wound up to the majestic cathedral square.
Where to stay in Viseu during your golf holidays:
The Pousada de Viseu, a 19th-century palace in the city of Viseu, is a popular tourist destination. It has large rooms, a spa, and both an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool for guests to use. Sauna and jacuzzi facilities are available to hotel guests, as well as massages and Turkish baths. Horseback riding and golf are also available.
The Montebelo Hotel in Viseu is a stylish and modern facility that is ideal for both vacations and business travels. The hotel is located near the historic center of Viseu. You may enjoy a variety of treatments at its spa area, including a sauna, a Turkish bath, and a relaxation room. The hotel's restaurant, meanwhile, serves delectable Portuguese and international fare.
Where to play golf in Viseu during your golf holidays:
There are patches of heather and gorse on the Montebelo golf course, which is surrounded by dense pine and oak trees. The first nine holes are called the Caramulo Course, and the second nine holes are called the Estrela Course (the second nine holes). The 12th hole stands out as the most unforgettable (a long par 3, running downhill to the green with a bunker to the left and a lake behind).
What to do in Viseu during your golf holidays:
The main attraction in the city is the historic quarter. These winding alleyways are lined with rounded granite flagstones and proud whitewashed homes, some in better shape than others.
Right next to this quarter, there’s Viseu Cathedral. From the square in front, there's a 17th-century Baroque front flanked by two towers; the south is medieval, while the north, like the facade, was restored after a storm in the 1600s.
If you like art and museums, check the Grão Vasco Museum, which contains sculptures, paintings and applied arts from the 1200s to the 1900s.
Feel free to check the Porta do Soar, one of the last remnants of Viseu's defensive walls. It leads you into the ancient town and was built in 1472, when a Portuguese king restored the defenses, according to the inscription on the gate. The Casa do Soar, which stands next to the gate, dates from the 1600s and features an unusual inscription on a corner window.
If you're looking for something to do on a wet day, this leisure and shopping center, Palácio do Gelo, is just south of the city center. If you're visiting with your family, the biggest draw will be the recreational facilities; there's a bowling alley and an amusement arcade, but the main attraction is the 600-square-meter ice rink (after all, the center is called Ice Palace!). Parents can treat themselves to a spa excursion, where they can unwind in the Turkish baths, jacuzzi room, or choose from a choice of treatments.
Anyone who loves nature should visit Fontelo Park. The city's greatest green space is a peaceful oak and chestnut forest where Viseu residents go to recharge their batteries and get active. The park has an intriguing history because it was once part of a vast estate owned by the city's bishops. In the 14th century, they built a palace here, which is now utilized by the regional wine commission. See also the Portal do Fontelo, a stone arch erected by one of the bishops in 1565, and the ruins of St Jerónimo's chapel. In addition to jogging pathways in the woods, the park has a municipal stadium, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a skate park.
The northern suburbs offer a glimpse of how life used to be in Viseu. The Casa da Ribeira is a large structure on the Pavia River that housed an iron forge, warehouses, a restaurant, and even student housing. The house has been preserved as an ethnological museum and a souvenir shop selling traditional handicrafts like weaving, lacemaking, basketry, and ceramics. The numerous tools for each craft are shown, and on special occasions, demonstrations are provided by the few people who still practice these traditional skills.
What to eat in Viseu during your golf holidays:
Viseu’s gastronomy is very rich. Roasted veal with rice, roast lamb, and a type of stew with a pork preparation (Rojões) and blood pudding are all old-school favorites here. Castanhas de ovos, prepared with sugar, egg yolks, and flour, are traditional sweets that were first made in the city's convents.
