The Alto Douro Wine Region greenway

Abstract

The Douro Demarcated Region is located in the interior of Northern Portugal and is considered the oldest controlled winemaking region in the world. This aspect together with the unique character of the landscape were the departure steps for Portugal to initiate in 1998 the studies to inscribe it in the list of UNESCO Word Heritage Sites as an ‘evolved continuing cultural landscape’. This paper presents in a summarized way the designation process emphasizing the methodology and the interpretation of the character of the landscape. The studies led to the selection of the most representative area within the Douro Demarcated Region of about 10% of the total area later entitled Alto Douro Wine Region. This selected area can also be considered a greenway both for its content in terms of the presence of natural and cultural values as well as being a river corridor along the Douro River. The greenway concept when applied to the whole Douro Demarcated Region becomes a strong and very effective landscape planning tool.