Santuário dos Remédios

The Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios stands on a wooded hill above Lamego, and the approach is the monument: a stairway of 686 steps rising through nine terraces, built through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with balustrades, obelisks, chapels, fountains and blue and white azulejo panels at each landing, culminating in the Court of the Kings, a terrace with granite statues of biblical kings around a fountain, and then the twin-towered rococo church. It is a deliberate echo of Bom Jesus at Braga and does the same thing: makes the climb the act of devotion. The pilgrimage in early September is one of the largest in northern Portugal, with the image carried down to the town and back, and it fills Lamego for a fortnight. A road runs round to the top for those who would rather not climb.

What you actually see

• The stairway - 686 steps in nine terraces with balustrades and azulejo panels.
• The Court of the Kings - a terrace of granite biblical statues around a fountain.
• The church - a twin-towered rococo building at the summit.
• The September pilgrimage - one of the largest in northern Portugal.

When to go

April to October. One to two hours for the climb and the church. Early September brings the pilgrimage, when the town is full.

Honest expectations

686 steps is a real climb in heat - go early or drive round to the top. The church interior is plainer than the stair suggests. During the pilgrimage the site is overwhelmed and parking is impossible. Douro summers are very hot.

Nearby

Lamego's cathedral and museum are below; the Douro at Régua is north.