In a charming landscape of gently rolling hills of Dão, set between majestic mountains, and cut by rivers, pine and eucalyptus forests lie the vineyards of Taboadella. The Dão region in central and northern Portugal is situated on the south of the legendary Douro Valley and is one of the oldest wine regions in Portugal, having been officially demarcated in 1908. The region ins embedded in a mountainous enclave.

Burel Factory arose from the need of saving an ancestral heritage. To keep it alive and extend its history that comes from far away. To promote the Serra da Estrela region, its people, its culture. To spread Portuguese art responsibly. And to present an authentic product in a conscious way, respecting nature and the mountain with its origin and knowledge.

Since 1940, Casa de São Lourenço is an icon from Serra da Estrela. It offered a rustic comfort and kind simplicity. 70 years after, it reborns as a 5-star Hotel. The historic Pousada de São Lourenço is not only transformed into a house (Casa) but also becomes the only 5-star hotel in Serra da Estrela. The new project follows the initial concept of Rogério de Azevedo and wants to pay a tribute to the beautiful artwork of Maria Keil, one of the most relevant Portuguese designers from the 20th century, and at the same time gives space to the contemporaneity of Portuguese designers. The purity of air in high-altitude and the beauty of the panorama are fundamental themes.

We visited Serra da Estrela in April 2021 and had the chance to get a glimpse at the beauty of spring up there. When driving up and down the narrow roads, we had splendid sunny weather. Unfortunately, while up at Casa da São Lourenço the foggy weather did not allow us to discover as much as we wanted from this splendid Portuguese mountain. However, we've put together some impressions for you. And if you stay at Casa de São Lourenço or Casa das Penhas Douradas you wont get bored with their amazing spa and beautiful interior.

The manufacture of faience in Coimbra dates back to the 17th century. With the refurbishment of the University of Coimbra, begun in 1773 by the Marquis of Pombal, a vast set of production units emerges that will give rise to a potter's neighborhood in the center of the city. This factory is the last testimony of this more extensive set of extinct units and is located in urban and consolidated territory in the downtown of Coimbra.

I am used to saying that while being an architectural photographer who always visits and shoots beautifully designed spaces, it’s becoming harder and harder to impress me with architecture. But this one was an exception. So this story started with a conversation with my good old buddy Guilherme about the history of Knights Templars in Portugal. Yeah, sometimes we have those intellectual conversations with my friend. So he recalled reading about a castle in Tomar, which is known for having served as bastion of Templar Knights in Portugal. We did some googling and decided, quite spontaneously, to go visit the Convento de Cristo (Convent of Christ) the next day.