evidence: Vila Real, the capital of the Tras-o-Montes province, is a sleepy university town set in a sea of rural tranquility. The town is located above the confluence of the Rio Cabril and the Rio Corgo. Diogo Cão, who discovered the Congo River in 1482, was born in Vila Real. [...] Vila Real flourished as a result of the wine and port trade, which used to be headquartered here before moving to Porto. Boat trips to the Douro ValleyDouro Valley can still be booked here. Every year on the 28th and 29th June a huge market takes over the streets of Vila Real to celebrate the Festa e Sao Pedro. Vila Real is well-placed to explore the little-visited Parque Natural da Serra do Alvao, with it's lush valleys and towering mountains, good views of which can be seen from the Miradouro de tras-do-cemiterio.