The Lodge of Burmester is the first lodge that most visitors to Gaia see when they cross the river Douro on the bridge D.Luis I. However, I’m sure many don’t even notice this lodge as it is not so flashy and obvious as some other lodges. It’s nearly hidden, tugged away just on the left of the bridge.

It’s one of the newer lodges – having opened it’s gates for visitors only in 2012. It’s small and not so spacious as some of the other places – but it is very interesting for visitors, starting with the fact that this is the best place to take photos of the east-side of the bridge D Luis I, as this is the only lodge east of the bridge. When you enter the lodge you are greeted by beautiful old barrels, bathed in orange lights. The place is very warm and welcoming – visitors feel immediately good.

The tour costs EUR 6,- and includes the tasting of a white and a red Port afterwards. The tour last about 30 minutes and is available in Portuguese and English.

You will hear some information about the history of the company and learn about Port Wine in general. What I like very much is the part of the tour that teaches us about the different Port Wine categories. Small tubes are used to display the typical colors of the most common Port Wine categories – and this gives us an idea how similar old white Ports and old red Tawnies can be – a real eye-opener to many visitors.

There is a small “cinema” where you will see a movie about the company and the Douro. Interesting are also the old artifacts that show us how bottles were cleaned and corked in the good old days.

Timetable:
From April to October: 10:00 to 19:00
From November to March: only by appointment

Closed on the 25th of December and the 1st of January.

Address:
Largo da Ponte D. Luiz
4400 – 111 Vila Nova de Gaia

Phone: + 351 22 374 66 60
Fax: + 351 22 374 66 99

E-mail: turismo@sogevinus.com