Viseu, Portugal
The Visigoths lived here and so did I, for a few days.
When Debra and I decided to retire to Portugal, we made a list of what we would ideally like: a city where we can walk just about anywhere we need to go; a mercado nearby with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; parks with green plants and trees; nature trails; a train line; a hospital; a place that’s not too hilly; and temperatures that are not excessively hot.
We made an initial scouting trip to Portugal last winter. During that trip, we explored towns in the Algarve. Tavira seemed lovely and a good place for us to settle. Then, this past summer, in the US, we experienced the hottest temperatures in our lives in a town where we have lived for many decades. Heat indices reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, repeatedly. We decided to look further north in Portugal and expanded our scope of possible retirement destinations. We included Viseu and Braga in the mix.
My wife and I arrived in Viseu on a cool, wet, grey Sunday afternoon. As we arrived, I wondered if our list of what we are seeking will truly map to an actual place. Our trip, this time around, will be ten days. It’s short, but that’s the time we have available. This is the visit where we decide where to live in Portugal.
Before arriving in Viseu, I did online research: population - 100,000; more miles of ecopista nature trails than any other city in Portugal; plenty of organic farms to the west of the city; a mercado; a local hospital; a university; and an historic city center. What’s most important, perhaps, is something I can only discover when I am physically in a city. What is the feeling I experience while I’m walking through the town? What kind of energy does the place have?
My wife and I walked through the historic city center. Viseu is filled with ancient and beautiful city walls, cathedrals, cobblestone streets and gardens. It has a sense of calm and definitely beauty.
The historic city center has old buildings with azulejos and renovated buildings with colorful new tiles that blend in with the older surroundings. The pace of the city picked up on week days.
Our host at the Airbnb characterized Viseu as a city where residents are focused on work and their day-to-day lives. “You won’t find as many cultural activities here as in Braga,” he said. “However, Viseu is not as crowded and doesn’t have the traffic Braga has.”
When looking at Viseu’s historic buildings, I would occasionally read a plaque outside. This way, I knew the building’s story. More frequently, I didn’t take the time. I just experienced how it felt to walk through a town with buildings that are hundreds and hundreds of years old and still remarkably solid. I felt time extended further into the past and not quite to the present.
The Visigoths actually lived in this area. The Visigoths.
Deb and I looked beyond the city center to outlying areas of town that have both newly built apartments as well as older ones. The new apartment buildings, in particular, are often isolated on a hill. We did not see sidewalks nearby. A person renting one of these new apartments would need a car to reach other areas of the city. Remarkably, during the several days we traveled around Viseu, we only saw one bus and one bus stop. I imagine there are others; but, intracity bus travel does not appear to be frequently used.
During our travels in Portugal, almost all the cities and towns we’ve seen have multi-lane roundabouts rather than stop lights. My wife enjoys driving in Portugal; however, I don’t foresee myself circling multi-lane roundabouts that appear every few blocks. For this reason, being able to walk where I need and want to go, or take a bus or train, is important to me.
Viseu has many ecopistas or nature trails. At home, I really love taking our dogs for walks and being on a pedestrian trail where cars aren’t a concern. We walked on one of these ecopistas and saw several runners. Based on my limited research and experience walking the trails, the ecopistas do not seem designed to enable someone to cycle easily to different parts of the city. They appear designed more as off-road walking or cycling trails.
In Viseu, for the first time, I successfully ordered my meals in Portuguese. The first dish I ordered was bacalhou. The fresh cod was topped with fried onions and surrounded by crispy thin potatoes. I was thrilled to be able to order from the Portuguese menu and have a short conversation with the restaurant employee about our meal.
I was surprised at the extent to which we found American culture, even in a town the size of Viseu. At home, my wife has a play list of Portuguese songs. She listens to it while she’s at work or driving in the car. She enjoys the music and the songs help her learn the language. While we were in Portugal, I noticed the music in cafes and restaurants was primarily American.
We saw many reminders of American culture, including a special order pink Barbie cake that we spotted one morning at our favorite pastelaria. I asked the lady picking up the elaborate cake whether it was alright for me to take a photo of her and the cake. She nodded that it was fine.
Portuguese cuisine heavily uses meat, eggs, milk and cheese. At home, I primarily cook vegan meals. We visited the grocery store to explore the extent to which we would be able to find the ingredients we use at home. We had no problem finding almost everything we typically buy in the United States. Some choices, such as the varieties of olive oil available, were significantly more extensive than anything we’ve seen in our city.
We noticed Viseu is not on the train line, so traveling to other cities would be a bit more challenging than if we settled in a town located on a train line.
I tried to imagine what my day-to-day life would be like here. I would definitely learn to speak Portuguese. We haven’t heard much English spoken in Viseu. We consider this to be positive, since we both want the opportunity to live in a community of native Portuguese speakers and not be surrounded primarily by expats.
As we left Viseu, my wife shared she believes the city is a place she could live happily. I voiced my concern that the city doesn’t have the spark and energy level I had hoped to find. I also don’t think I would be able to walk as many places as I would like, given the lack of sidewalks in some areas and the slick, hilly cobblestone streets in others.
Deb and I had agreed on this trip to identify the city where we would land in Portugal when we retire. We are driving to Braga through the Douro Valley, one of the most beautiful regions of Portugal. Our next stop is Braga.
Have you been to Viseu? To Braga? Have you lived in either city? I would love to hear your thoughts.
no viseu, no braga for me, didn't see any of them. but from my holiday spent in portugal i've learned about the fish cocked there. i have one word: excellent! and so many varieties