- the Vinho Verde Region between Oporto City and Peso da Régua;

- the Beira Douro Region in the south of Douro River, between Vila Nova de Gaia and Peso da Régua;

- Alto Douro Vinhateiro, Port Wine Region between Peso da Régua and the Portuguese border with Spain.

The Douro Valley for us is The Landscape, The Manor Houses and Tradition.

We will try to show everything you need to feel the Douro Valley.

The cultural richness, the quality of agricultural products, the particularities and social customs are potentials that make always been the foundation of its development and its projection.

Agriculture, forestry and livestock farming are the predominant activity . In agriculture, they highlight the production of green wines of recognized quality, and the renowned oranges. But the these lands are still fertile in the production of potatoes, olive oil, vegetables and cereals. Livestock, including the creation of cows, arouquesa race, goats and sheep, predominates in the more mountainous areas.

Serra de Montemuro, Mountain Range

The Serra de Montemuro is the eighth highest elevation of mainland Portugal, with 1382 meters of altitude. Is located in Arouca municipalities, Cinfães, Resende and Castro Daire and Lamego (Viseu district) and between the regions of Douro Litoral and Beira Alta.

The average altitude is 838 meters. It is from the Douro river to the north and the river Paiva, to the south, bordering the city of Lamego. The highest point of the mountain is called by Talegre or Talefe, the 1381 meters of altitude. The whole mountain is quite steep terrain and is virtually everywhere. The mountain is populated up to about 1100 meters above sea level, villages are scattered throughout the mountains, but often near water courses, as Bestança river that divides the South-North direction.

The Demarcated Region of Vinho Verde is located in the northwest of Portugal in an area traditionally known as Entre-Douro-e-Minho. Its limits are the Minho River in the North (border with Galicia), the mountainous areas in the East and South, forming the natural border between the Atlantic Entre-Douro-e-Minho and the Mediterranean inland regions, and the Atlantic Ocean as its western limit.

Orografically the region presents itself as “a wide amphitheater rising gradually from the maritime border to the inland “ (Amorim Girão), exposed to the Atlantic Ocean influence, being this even more reinforced by the main river valleys orientation, that facilitates the maritime winds’ penetration.

Sub-regions:

Amarante, Ave, Baião, Basto, Cávado, Lima, Monção and Melgaço, Paiva and Sousa

Vinho Verde is produced from grapes which do not reach great doses of sugar. Verde means “Green” because is a young wine. Therefore, Vinho Verde does not require an aging process.

Vinho Verde wines are now largely exported, and are the most exported Portuguese wines after the Port Wine. The most popular variety in Portugal and abroad are the white wines, but there are red and more rarely Also rosé wines.

A notable variety of Vinho Verde wine is Albariño which is a special variety of white Vinho Verde, the production of Alvarinho is restricted by EU law to a small sub-region of Monção, in the northern part of the Minho region in Portugal.

Verde means “Green”.

It has more alcohol (11.5 to 13%) than the other varieties (8 to 11.5%).

The space includes a small museum, where is depicted the history of Bengal Gestaçô and craftsmen who dedicated themselves to the craft; a local demonstration, equipped as a workshop where visitors can learn about the manufacturing process of live canes, as well as an exhibition area and marketing.

The first workshops canes appeared in Gestaçô the end of the century. XIX. The major driver of the craft was then Alexandre Pinto Ribeiro, who in 1902 set up his workshop there.

Pinto Ribeiro has revolutionized the entire process of manufacture of walking sticks and umbrella cables by introducing a small innovation: the technique of folding. This is to bend the ends of the softened wood strips in boiling water with the aid of a metal bar, which allows a greater saving in terms of raw material and obtaining a higher quality cane.

From this technological advance, Gestaçô became a reference to northern level, both in cane production as the umbrella hand, when the number of orders of Porto, São João da Madeira and Braga.

With the technique, did the creativity and the emergence of various reasons and original designs to beautify the canes: animal heads, polished cherry wood, mother of pearl inlays, silver or ouro.Com the passing fashions the stick is no longer part of the male clothing and hands umbrella began to be made of plastic, which caused the closure of many shops in Gestaçô.

The generalization of the Burning of the Ribbons nationally landed a new breath to the office: every year about 30,000 students give bengaladas with bent wood and crafted that baionense parish.
The House Canes is located in place of Carvalhais, Gestaçô.

“Anatomy” of cane

Basically the stick is divided into two parts: the body (long straight portion) and which rests the hand grip. Sometimes between the body and the handle there is a collar that can be just decorative or serve amendment in the case of body and handle are separate pieces. The tip at the lower end, usually in contact with the ground can have a metallic finish or bone to resist wear or rubber to prevent slippage.
The handle can have many shapes. See the examples below.

How are made

First timber (can be cherry) is stored dry. Then is cut in length depending on the type of artifact to which it will allocate. To shape the wood we use the heat. The next step is to weigh more the artisan skill, because the drawings are carved on the cane using various types chisel. Finally, the cane is varnished. It is sometimes applied some kind of metal in detail.