Viseu sits on a granite plateau in the middle of northern Portugal, and for a rider on the Estrada Nacional 2 it makes a natural halfway point between the Douro and the Tagus. It is a handsome, orderly city of about twenty-six thousand within its core, with a cathedral square, a medieval centre of granite houses, and a long reputation for good living. The city is the capital of the Dão wine region, whose reds, based on the Touriga Nacional grape, are some of the most elegant in Portugal, and the vineyards lie on the sheltered slopes around it, protected by mountains from the Atlantic rain.
The great name in Viseu is Grão Vasco, the nickname of the painter Vasco Fernandes, who worked here in the early sixteenth century and whose altarpieces fill the museum beside the cathedral. A statue of Viriato, the Lusitanian chieftain who held out against the Romans, stands outside the town, and the Viseu district claims him as its own. In August and September, the ancient fair of São Mateus, which has been held since the late fourteenth century, fills the city with stalls, music and fairground rides, and is one of the oldest and biggest fairs in the country.
The N2, Portugal's answer to Route 66, runs the whole length of the country from Chaves in the north to Faro in the south, and Viseu lies close to its path. The riding through the Dão country is fine, with sweeping bends through pine forest, vineyards and granite villages, and views of the Serra da Estrela and the Caramulo mountains. Surface quality varies, from smooth new tarmac to old patched sections, and in towns the cobbles can be slippery when wet. Traffic is moderate, and in autumn the harvest brings tractors and trailers onto the road.
Fuel, food and coffee are all easy in the city, which has several supermarkets and many restaurants. The regional food is hearty and delicious, with roast kid, veal from the Lafões area, and cheese from the nearby Serra da Estrela, which is soft, creamy and best eaten with a spoon. Rojões, chunks of pork stewed in wine, are another local classic, and of course the Dão wine goes well with all of them.
Linger a while in the old town, with its narrow streets and cafés, and sit in the square by the cathedral with an espresso and a custard tart. The light in the late afternoon on the granite is warm and golden, and the pace of life is gentle.