Casa das Lerias
Amarante is one of those wonderful places which has ducked the rise of mass-tourism, and still retains an understated charm thanks to its colourful 17th century riverfront townhouses and medieval religious architecture. For the residents of nearby Porto, Amarante is famous for its Confeitarias – the celebrated sweet shops which produce many of the region’s favourite sugary treats.
Before an extensive renovation, Casa das Lerias was the Confeitaria Amarantina – built by Alcino dos Reis and his family in the 1930s, the casa was a combined family home, confectioner’s studio and sweet shop. Alcino is credited with rescuing and recording a number of traditional recipes which were in danger of being lost – it was quite common for nuns to use eggs whites for starching laundry across 19th century Portugal, and the leftover yokes were used to make a variety of sweet puddings which the sisters would sell to local families. With the closure of Amarante’s Convento de Santa Clara, Alcino recorded and refined the recipes which you can still enjoy at the casa’s river terrace coffee bar over a century later: Foguetes, Brisas do Tamega, Papos de Anjo, and the ever-popular Lerias, from which Casa das Lerias takes its name.
The hotel’s 1930s architectural roots are visible both inside and out – the casa doesn’t shout art deco but tips a quiet nod to the time it was built, with its subtle curves and unfussy balustrades. The décor of the bedrooms modern, minimal and comfortable with gentle tones of green, white and polished pine; some rooms have city views and others look back towards the pretty Tamega river.
Amarante’s old town straddles the river, centred around the Ponte de Sao Goncalo bridge which is a short walk from the hotel. The Igreja de Sao Goncalo is equally close, as are the Amadeo de Souza Cardoso Museum and the Parque Florestal de Amarante.
