Mateus Palace - Cruise on the Douro with the A-Rosa Alva

The estate here has existed since at least the 15th century, but the baroque palace was built in 1743.

During a half-hour guided tour with audio guide, we walked through the interior rooms with dark wooden ceilings on the ground floor.

Especially beautiful was the visit to the garden grounds afterwards.

There was the classic French garden with boxwood hedges shaped into forms, but also a vegetable garden.

Right next to it is also a vineyard.

The Mateus rosé wine, which got its name from the castle, is not grown here but about 40 kilometers away.

Our tour guide is not a big fan of the wine and advised us against enjoying a glass in front of the backdrop of the castle.

In the afternoon we relaxed on board our ship and listened to a lecture about the history of Portugal before having a farewell dinner in the evening, as we were to reach Porto, the starting and ending point of our journey, the next day.