Pousada da Serra da Estrela

I have become an aficionado of these wonderful, historical hotels that bring incredible old buildings, be they castles, convents or antique mansions, to life by tastefully renovating them and opening them as luxury retreats. There is an unfailing respect for the heritage that they so carefully preserve as well as a tasteful ability to evoke its past whilst bringing the majestic spaces into the present with the high quality standards of living one would expect today in a hotel of the highest standing. In short, they each hold a world of magic, romance and pleasure that is a privilege to experience. This fling brings me to Portugal's highest point, amid what is known as the Star Mountain Range, Serra da Estrela, and indeed I cannot wait to see the stars tonight as I wind my way up with my partner and feel that great, gleaming blue dome above our heads drawing ever closer.

We arrive breathing in lungfuls of sweet, pure mountain air and are met with the warm, stately façade of the hotel smiling benignly down at us as it looks out over the spectacular view. That welcome feel extends to the very affable staff who are happy, helpful and friendly from the first moment to the last and manage to make our stay all that more special. On reaching our room we are most gratified to find that our upgrade to a superior room includes those arrestingly beautiful panoramic views from our lofty windows that invite the mountain in to fill the 33m2 with a shimmering light. This light gleams off the flat screen television and beckons us over to try the vast, comfy bed, promising sweet, restful sleep and lazy mornings with the soft mountain breeze carrying perfumes from the world outside and reminding us of what awaits us... Verdant mountain walks and sparkling rivers with natural beaches to cool off in the delicious water during the summer and in the winter a glittering land of ice and snow that caps the ancient villages, churches spires and castles in the region.

I imagine that the skiing season must be quite special here but before I can get carried away, I bring myself back to the here and now. Summer, birdsong and a host of deluxe facilities are to be explored before we venture further afield into our wonderful surroundings. We leave the games room and the restaurant's exquisite cuisine for this evening as we make a bee line for the hotel spa. Here the sauna and hammam prepare us for a blissful massage that leaves us both floating. We are unable to do anything else but pause for our thirst­quenching welcome drink and then meander our way dreamily to the outdoor pool where we spend a delightful couple of hours reading our books or simply gazing out over that infinite view before us. I haven't yet seen the stars up here but I can feel them nevertheless for this is indeed a paradise amongst the heavens of Portugal.