How it all started

During some years we spend our holidays in Portugal. Each time visiting a different part of this intriguing country. In the autumn of 1993 we came up with the serious idea of looking around for some property and make Portugal our home country.

The search ended in the spring of 1994. We bought a huge pile of stones at the border of a small town in the region of the Serra da Estrela -the Quinta da Geia in Aldeia das Dez. Until 1974 this property has been used as a farm. The oldest parts date from before 1754. Many ancients from this village worked on this farm, which had an important economical role in the daily life of Aldeia das Dez. Every year Quinta da Geia delivered the first strawberries on the market, which gave the Quinta regional fame.

Deliberation with the tourism ministry teaches us that the Quinta da Geia would be a perfect place to build a Hotel Rural. Aldeia das Dez is village of historical interest and the entire region with its fabulous woods, mountains and rivers could definitely convince both national and international guests in visiting this area.

The plans were looking so promising that we decided to settle definitively in Portugal. After two years of planning, including obtaining approval from the ministries and financing programs, in which every instance has always been very helpful, contrary to what has been said by others, we started the rebuilding in March 1996.

We chose a local builder and did not regret this decision. In only two years, Mr. José Ramiro from Alvôco das Várzeas, built a fabulous hotel, being every detail worked out in perfection.

On the 18 th May 1998 the hotel has been officially inaugurated by the (ex-) minister of Tourism Mr. Vitor Neto.

Since then we can not complain about lack of interest in our hotel. Every year we welcome more and more guests. Particularly we have a great increase in Portuguese guests who enjoy spending a few days at Quinta da Geia to relax and forget for a while the agitated live in the big cities.

Frenkel de Greeuw & Fir Tiebout