The northern region of Portugal is located between two rivers-the Douro river (in the south and east) and the Minho (in the north)-and is divided into three natural subregions (Minho, Douro and Trás-os-Montes).
Historically, it is the cradle of Portugal; it was created after the independence of the Portuguese county from the reign of Castile and León in the XII century. However, a lot of people have passed through this region (especially Celtic Indo-Europeans, Romans, Swabians, Visigoths and Arabs). A lot of characteristics of these people can still be seen in regional cultural protests, especially in agriculture and popular rich tradition.
The landscape of the region is very diverse, we will have the opportunity to see all of it in a trip of less than a 100 km, we will go through a green and densely populated region to a mountainous and less populated one, getting to the beautiful wine region of Alto Douro (a Cultural Heritage site since 2001).
It is in this region that the XXIII Euromeeting will take place, from 28th May to 4th June.
As we have been doing for quite some time, the Board of Directors and the Delegate’s Assembly will get together. Each delegation will put forward their presentation of the issue that will be debated in the General Assembly, where all participants will be able to freely give their opinion on the same issue and on the intervention of the invited speaker. The Work and Study Group (GET) will develop the conclusions that we will have reached during the Euromeeting and they will be presented in the General Assembly and in the AGE Platform, in Brussels.
In the Minho Province, we will be visiting the municipalities of Viana do Castelo (the “Heart of Viana”, one of the symbols of Portugal), Barcelos (with its history of famous roosters, another Portuguese symbol), Braga (the second most important religious site of the country, after Fátima) and Guimarães (the cradle of Portugal).
Oporto and its famous wine will be the main attraction in two of the scheduled visits (one during the day and the other in the evening, with a surprise meal and a visit of one of their “wine cellar”).
But the wine of Oporto is produced in the Alto Douro wine region which we will be visiting during a whole day. We will eat in one of their famous “farms”, where its delicious nectar is produced. During the trip, we will also be making a stop in the areas bordering the Douro River, with a quick visit of Lamego (Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Remedies) and Vila Real (Casa de Mateus).
With this previous piece of information, we only want you to book the dates indicated above in your agendas to participate in the XXIII Euromeeting, and meet your long-time friends, and also make new friends coming from all over Europe to spend time together and debate in a dazzling atmosphere.
We will see each other in the north of Portugal.
Cândido Vintém (President); Michel Pageault and Francisco Ramírez Munuera (Vice Presidents)