The ancient little town of Valença do Minho lies on commanding heights above the left bank of the River Minho, Miño in Spanish, which here forms the frontier between Spain and Portugal (frontier crossing). Nowadays there is hardly any sense of the past rivalry between the two states and there is a lively
crossborder traffic between Valença do Minho and Tui on the other side of the river. The Spaniards come to Valença do Minho chiefly to purchase cloth goods, especially terry towelling.
Valença is busy on market day (Wed.); Thursday is market day in Tui.
Townscape
The old core of Valença do Minho is enclosed by the ramparts of its massive walls. Although the town was always strongly fortified, the present Fortaleza, or fort, is 17th C., in the Vauban style. From various points on the walls there are superb views over the "new" town, some way below, the Minho valley and the mountains of Galicia.
Narrow alleys between whitewashed house crisscross the old town, and this is where the textile shops can be found. Buildings worth seeing are the Capela de Sao Sebastiao, the late 13th C. Igreja de Santa Maria dos Anjos, and the Igreja Matriz, which was founded as a collegiate church by Joao I in about 1400.
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