Valença

Even today, Valença still seems more like a fortress than a city. The hill on which the city was built rises from the Rio Minho, the border between Portugal and Spain. The city is surrounded by a massive fortress with many ramparts. It took about a century to build all this, and what we see today is the state of 1713, when the work was finally completed.

Today Valença is known for its many textiles shops