"Lamego and its 686 Steps!" Lamego by Bwana_Brown

Lamego Travel Guide: 23 reviews and 61 photos

Lamego is a very old city in northern Portugal, located near the southern boundary of the Douro River region that is noted for its Port wines. The city is located in a fertile valley below its most famous attraction, the pilgrimage shrine of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies) perched in a beautiful forested park. The building itself is not so much the wonder as is the famous double staircase of 686 granite steps that leads up to it. We climbed them three times during our 2 days there, and the artistry that went into their construction is amazing.

We arrived in Lamego on a sunny and warm Day 9 of our Portugal trip, and Day 6 of our road trip around the country in our rental car. I had booked two nights accommodation over the phone, sight unseen, several weeks earlier because this looked like a good central spot in northern Portugal from which to make a couple of excursions. It turned out to be a good choice - we made one day trip even further north to the mountainous 'Geraz do Minho' region and then a second one along the famous Douro River (my 'Pinhao' page) before finally heading south and west for the Atlantic Ocean near Aveiro, at 'Praia de Mira'.

Lamego is a nicely sized city, not so big that the traffic is a problem but it offers plenty of things to see and do while you are in the area. We quite enjoyed our stay here!

Pros and Cons

Pros:Amazing Architecture at the Shrine
In a nutshell:An enjoyable and interesting small town

Last visit to Lamego: May 2004
Intro Updated Sep 11, 2004
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Reviews (17)

Lamego is HERE Favorites (1)

Located in northern Portugal, not far from the Douro River valley of Port wine fame, I chose to use Lamego as a base... more travel advice

Cathedral Things to Do (5)

Pre-dating the birth of Portugal itself, this Gothic-style cathedral was built in 1129 by Afonso Henriques, who became... more travel advice

Town Square Things to Do (5)

The centre of Lamego contains a beautiful treed esplanade with pools and statues down its middle. Around the perimeter... more travel advice

High Above Hotels (4)

We pulled into Lamego on a Saturday afternoon after our drive from Guarda and, once again, my various attempts at... more travel advice

Restaurants (3)
See All The Hotel Bar
Off The Beaten Path (1)
Lizard

Comments (20)

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HORSCHECK Aug 10, 2010 at 2:04 PM

Glenn, fantastic page about this Portuguese gem. I must admit that I haven't heard of Lamego before, although I have visited Porto and Guimaraes in Northern Portugal, but obviously I missed a few places further inland along the Douro river.
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BillNJ Mar 14, 2010 at 9:06 PM

Glenn, the Double Staircase in Lamego is definitely a hidden gem of which I was not aware. The view from your hotel room is amazing! The only negative seems to be those nosy old women dressed in black.
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MalenaN Mar 13, 2010 at 9:14 AM

I wish I had had the time to visit Lamego during my visit to Portugal (but you can't see everything in a week). Those steps looks impressive!
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richiecdisc Sep 10, 2009 at 4:45 AM

Found a page I'd not seen. Too bad about that salmon, a tough fish to overcook but nice find with the Super Bock! Love the Lamego Cathedral. That lizard looks like a Komodo Dragon in the photo and gotta love those early morning bells.
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ATXtraveler Sep 29, 2008 at 2:55 PM

This place does not look lame at all :)
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betako3 Jan 24, 2008 at 10:16 AM

The place looks amazing, you were so lucky to stay in a hotel with such a View!
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calcaf38 Nov 17, 2007 at 7:55 AM

My adventurous spirit! Ha! Thank you for dropping by my Riobamba page all the same. This Lamego page is wonderful. I love azulejos. I should go back to Portugal some day instead of always focusing on buses and bugs!
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matcrazy1 Jan 8, 2006 at 2:50 PM

Glenn, I am impressed again. Next charming desination in Portugal. These stairs with terraces and the cathedral (so old) look outstanding. Hand-painted ceramic tiles as well.
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gubbi1 Feb 27, 2005 at 4:02 AM

Great! You counted them!!! May I refer to this number on my page??? Funny idea with the winter BBQ on your main page. Would also be something here now... Take care, Christian. Thanks! It's updated!
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JLBG Jan 16, 2005 at 9:25 AM

Traveling at odd periods allows having the best of everything, as you had in your famous hotel with a great view. I have now finished the round trip of Portugal with you. Thanks for the lift ! I will next time try some other kind of location!