World Heritage Identification Number: 1046
World Heritage since: 2001
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇵🇹 Portugal
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Alto Douro Wine Region: A Terroir of Timeless Tradition and Quality
The Alto Douro Wine Region, situated in the northernmost part of Portugal, is a testament to the enduring legacy of viticulture and winemaking that spans over two millennia. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, this cultural landscape showcases the harmonious blend of human ingenuity, natural beauty, and the rich history of port wine production.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Wine has been produced by traditional landholders in the Alto Douro region for some 2,000 years. Since the 18th century, its main product, port wine, has been world famous for its quality. This long tradition of viticulture has produced a cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that reflects its technological, social and economic evolution.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): The Alto Douro Region has been producing wine for nearly two thousand years and its landscape has been moulded by human activities.
Criterion (iv): The components of the Alto Douro landscape are representative of the full range of activities association with winemaking – terraces, quintas (wine-producing farm complexes), villages, chapels, and roads.
Criterion (v): The cultural landscape of the Alto Douro is an outstanding example of a traditional European wine-producing region, reflecting the evolution of this human activity over time.
Encyclopedia Record: Douro DOC
Douro is a Portuguese wine region centered on the Douro River in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. It is sometimes referred to as the Alto Douro, as it is located some distance upstream from Porto, sheltered by mountain ranges from coastal influence. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) and is registered as a Protected Designation of Origin under EU and UK law, and as a Geographical Indication in several other countries through bilateral agreements. While the region is best known for Port wine production, the Douro produces just as much table wine as it does fortified wine. The non-fortified wines are typically referred to as "Douro wines".Additional Site Details
Area: 24,600 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement
Coordinates: 41.10166667 , -7.798888889
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© Husond, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
