Pousada de Viana do Castelo

Photographing the Pousada de Viana do Castelo meant climbing to the top of Monte de Santa Luzia to capture one of the most beautiful viewpoints in northern Portugal. This historic hotel, a majestic Belle Époque building dating back to 1903, embraces stunning views over the city, the Lima river estuary and the Atlantic, with the iconic Basílica de Santa Luzia right beside it. I devoted myself to capturing that dialogue between the building’s century-old elegance and the landscape that opens, endless, far below.

I sought to reveal the stately atmosphere of this pousada. I photographed the high-ceilinged rooms and suites with their classic fabrics, the grand salons, the games room and the panoramic restaurant, always attentive to the light coming through the large windows and the way each space turns toward the viewpoint. I wanted every image to convey the rare feeling of inhabiting a living monument, suspended between sky and sea.

I completed the series with the gastronomy and the leisure moments that crown the experience: the carefully plated dishes served with the Basilica as a backdrop, the afternoon cocktails, the outdoor pool and the gardens. It was a project in which I aimed to honour the history and the unique view of this pousada — and I hope these photographs invite those who see them to climb up to Santa Luzia and lose themselves in the horizon.