evidence: Have you ever heard of Vila Real is Portugal? Most travellers overlook many beautiful places along the Douro valley in Portugal in favour of Lisbon and Porto. But, if you have got time on your itinerary, it is worth including some of the smaller and lesser known Portuguese cities such as Braga, Lamego and Vila Real. You will get an authentically Portuguese experience and way less tourists! Vila Real is a city located in the centre of Northern Portugal, some 100km inland from Porto (Portugals second city). It is not to be confused with Vila Real de Santo Antonio, which is a city on the Algarve coast near the Spanish border. [...] Vila Real actually means ‘Royal City’ and the city was founded back in 1272. It is home to many historical buildings, many of which display the coat of arms and continue to be passed through generations of the original families. It was also the birthplace of Diogo Cão, a famous navigator who was the first to reach the mouth of the River Congo in back in 1482. The area has played an important economic role through the ages. The area is famous for its wine production and also the city was the first city in Portugal to have electricity in 1895. Today, visitors to Vila Real enjoy the mountainous setting, beautiful architecture and amazing food and drink on offer. Although it is slightly off the usual tourist track, Casa de Mateus (the main palace in the region of Vila Real) attracts thousands of international visitors each year. [...] Vila Real Portugal – Exploring the Surrounding areas